The Medical Profession (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2008

New section 29EA

13.  After section 29E insert—

“Disclosure by a licensing authority of information relating to revalidation

29EA.— (1) This section applies where—

(a) a medical practitioner participates in a revalidation pilot scheme and the medical practitioner’s revalidation under the scheme ceases before evaluation of the practitioner’s fitness to practise is complete; or

(b) a medical practitioner’s revalidation under this Part ceases before any decision is made as to—

(i) the practitioner holding, or continuing to hold, a licence to practise; or

(ii) the making of any change to the General Practitioner Register or the Specialist Register in respect of the practitioner.

(2) If the licensing authority considers it to be in the public interest to do so, the licensing authority may disclose any relevant information about the medical practitioner to—

(a) the Secretary of State, the Scottish Ministers, the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in Northern Ireland or the Welsh Ministers; and

(b) any person of whom the licensing authority is aware—

(i) by whom the practitioner is employed to provide services in, or in relation to, any area of medicine, or

(ii) with whom the practitioner has an arrangement to provide such services.

(3) In this section—

“relevant information”, in relation to a medical practitioner, means information arising in the course of or otherwise in connection with such revalidation of the practitioner as is mentioned in subsection (1)(a) or (b); and

“revalidation pilot scheme” means any voluntary pilot scheme for the purpose of determining when and how revalidation under this Part will operate (whether in relation to all medical practitioners or medical practitioners of any description).”.