《泰晤士報》報道，英國15萬名醫生將需要每年接受工作能力鑒定，測試他們是否勝任繼續行醫。這是英國150年來最大規模的醫療規則改革。 《泰晤士報》說，這是全世界第一個這類的制度，素質差的醫生將可能會失去醫生執照。 《每日電訊報》報道，根據更嚴格的規定，家庭醫生將不能隨便為感冒患者開抗生素藥物。專家指出，抗生素對喉嚨痛這類症狀未必有效，但抗生素的大量使用將導致抗藥病菌MRSA的個案不斷增加。
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英國醫療管理制度出現150年來最重大改革。政府官員指出，英國15萬名醫生未來每年必須接受適任性檢核，每五年更新一次執照，如果醫療表現欠佳，將被吊銷執照，不得再行醫。
英國「衛報」報導，這項新措施據信是全球首例。
首席醫療官唐納遜指出，未來不論是家庭醫師、醫院內資深醫師或開業醫師，一律每年接受檢核，這個制度的目的，在掃除那些醫術差的醫師。
對執業醫師考核的項目包括：開立處方藥的習慣、為病人看診的適當性、個人使用藥物或飲酒習慣可能對工作的負面影響等。
英國國內要求對醫生進行考核的呼聲由來已久，一直到一名家庭醫師希普曼於1975到1998年間，對至少215名病患注射致命的嗎啡，以非法取得的海洛英謀殺病人駭人新聞曝光，才受到主管機關重視。希普曼本人有長期使用止痛藥的習慣，並已上癮，經常自己開處方藥供個人使用。他被判處終生監禁，2004年在牢房自縊。
唐納遜指出，「我有信心透過這套新的年度考核制度，將有助提高國家保健服務系統的醫療水準，並能改善治療品質；病患與社會大眾的參與，將有助政府了解提昇健康醫療的重點，少數醫療技術欠佳的醫師，可以藉此了解需要改進之處，以獲得新的執照」。
根據規劃，未來十八個月，政府將針對如何對醫師進行年度考核，徵詢各方意見，同時進行試辦。2009年和2010年起將在英格蘭地區推出，其它地區的實施時間將再公布。
general practitioner英國醫生的品質評審： Quality and Outcomes Framework(QOF),
general practice noun [C or U] UKthe work of a GP (= doctor) who treats the people who live in the local area and treats injuries and diseases that do not need a hospital visit
general practitioner noun [C] 英國制，類似「社區醫生」
英國相信醫生的績效和品質是可以衡量的。他們的辦法很平常：
Quality and Outcomes Framework for UK GPs
QOF stands for Quality and Outcomes Framework. In the UK, it is a voluntary set of targets that medical General Practitioners (GPs) can aim for.
The targets are set by the National Health Service (NHS) and each target has points attached to it. As Bruce Forsyth would say on Play Your Cards Right, 'What do points make?' The audience shouts back, 'Prizes!'
QOF points are worth about ?20 each to a GP practice with around 5,700 patients. As there are 1,000 points1 available, this can be seen as a way of making a pretty penny for the practice.
The targets cover the main areas of a GP's practice: Clinical, Organisational and Additional Services and Patient Experience. Each of these headings is split into sub-headings or 'indicators' so that specific targets can be volunteered for and then tested. This testing is carried out by a group of assessors that generally include a local GP from a different practice, a member of the local Primary Care Trust staff, a Pharmaceutical Advisor and an ordinary person.
Before the inspectors visit, the GP's practice will prepare its own evidence on how it has met the targets it has volunteered to achieve and will say how many points it is aiming for. By the time of the visit, the inspectors have this information and will have the opportunity to examine their own specific areas of expertise.
Clinical Domain
This covers items such as coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, cancer, diabetes, mental health, hyperthyroidism, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and epilepsy. The GP assessor will look at anonymous patient records to ensure that the levels of work being claimed in the clinical domain are reflected in the work being done with patients. They also look at statistics available from one of the computer systems used by GPs to see that their levels of patient prevalence would fit in with the prevalence of the surrounding areas. In other words, if a doctor said 'We hardly have anyone with asthma round here,' he or she may be saying it because they didn't want to be penalised for not doing enough work with asthmatics and so lose points. However, if it is a true statement, the GP would not be penalised.
Generally speaking, this voluntary scheme encourages doctors to carry out the good practice that many of us would have thought doctors would do anyway.
Organisational Domain
This involves categories such as records and information about patients, information for patients, education and training, practice management and medicines management. The non-clinical assessors will look at how the practice manages much of its day-to-day working and its interface with the patients. Are the patients' records kept up to date? Are patients given information about specific health schemes being promoted by the NHS, such as smoking cessation?
Additional Services Domain
Some services are now voluntary for GPs to opt into. These include clinical screening, child health surveillance, maternity services and contraceptive services. If a doctor is claiming to offer these, then the assessors need to see that patients are being offered to a reasonable standard and may request proof of each item claimed and the quality of that service. Often this will involve the practice having a written policy which needs to be understood by all relevant staff and to have evidence that that policy is adhered to.
Patient Experience
To get paid for these points, a GP's practice has to conduct an annual patient survey. The questions need to follow a preset formula fairly closely. The practice then has to meet to discuss the results of the survey and to set itself an action plan to cover the next two years, taking into account the points raised by patients.
After the Visit
The assessors report their findings to the practice and give them a pat on the back for what has been done well and encourage them to try harder on the things they are slipping back on. They may also warn the practice that it may have funds withdrawn if it is clear that they have previously claimed money for points that they have no evidence of achieving.
This informal report is turned into a formal paper report and a copy is sent to the practice for comments before it is sent off to the NHS coordinators. Over the next year, auditors come out and check a sample of GP practices to ensure that the general standard of assessment is accurate. They will also penalise GPs who are not honest about their points attainment.
The overall aim of this is to improve health services locally. If your GP doesn't seem to be coming up to scratch in any of these areas, you might want to advise your Primary Care Trust about it.
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