Performance Assessment
Registered doctors have a duty to maintain their professional competence and the Medical Council has a duty to satisfy itself that registered doctors are doing so. The Medical Council has established procedures and activities to assist it in performing this duty. These procedures include the Performance Assessment process which, while referred to as a professional competence scheme, is separate from the schemes established with the postgraduate training bodies.
The Performance Assessment procedures and activities assist the Medical Council in determining whether a registered medical professional has, and applies, the knowledge and skill that can reasonably be expected given the kind of medicine that he or she practises. In this way, the Medical Council protects the public and supports doctors to maintain good professional practice.
A doctor may be referred for performance assessment following the consideration of a complaint made to the Medical Council. A referral may come from a decision of the Preliminary Proceedings Committee, the Fitness to Practise Committee (as an undertaking) or from Council (as a condition of registration).
Performance assessment generally involves assessing a doctor’s knowledge and skills, or the application of knowledge and skills, or both. Arising from the assessment, the doctor will be required to address any improvements deemed necessary so as to satisfy the Medical Council that knowledge and skill, and its application, are being maintained to a reasonable standard.
Depending on the type of referral, the assessment may look at the totality of a doctor’s practice, or it may take a more focused look at specific areas of practice.
It is worth noting, the performance assessment procedures and activities are not an investigation of the matters complained of which led to the referral, this process is intended to be a non-punitive, developmental process for the doctor.