A new system called medical revalidation will be implemented in the U.K. to ensure that doctors are up-to-date with their training and expertise. Doctors will have assessments every five years to make sure that they are abreast of the latest techniques, technologies, and research.
The U.K. is the first country in the world to institute a regular reassessment of physicians. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is also considering creating a national performers' list of physicians and dentists who have been approved to provide NHS primary care services. Currently, these lists are maintained at the local level, allowing physicians who are taken off their local list to continue to practice medicine in another area. This would not be allowed under the nationalized system.
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