RST chief executive Allan Coffey said a survey of all designated bodies in England was carried out in December last year to establish how many doctors were likely to be a cause for concern following revalidation. GPs designated body will be their PCTs.
The survey, which was completed by 55% of designated bodies, found that just 4.1% of doctors were deemed to present a concern. This would represent 6,800 doctors if extrapolated across England, Mr Coffey said.
Of that 4.1% who were the subject of concern, just 0.7%, representing 1,200 doctors in England, were deemed to present a high level concern which could result in them requiring formal remediation and possibly being removed from their place of work.
Mr Coffey added that 2.4% of the concerns - representing 4,000 doctors in England - were of a low level and 1% of concerns - representing 1,600 doctors - were of medium level, meaning the doctor required some further training.
When the reasons for the concerns were broken down, 24% were due to a doctor’s health, 60% were due to competency and 26% were due to conduct.
Commenting on the health secretary's decision to begin revalidation in December, Mr Coffey said: 'This decision is testament to the hard work and dedication across healthcare organisations to improve their clinical governance systems in preparation for revalidation
‘The decision also reflects evidence from the RST’s three years of testing and piloting work, showing that systems of appraisal for revalidation are streamlined, proportionate and work for patients, employers and doctors.’
