10.1 The Medical Profession Flashcards
What is meant by a profession?
An occupation which is able to make distinct claims about its work practices and status. Usually requires registration
What 3 things must be done to establish a profession?
Assert an exclusive claim over a body of knowledge
Establish control over market
Establish control over professional work practice.
What happened in the 1858 Medical Act?
GMC established to take over registration of doctors and approve and inspect medical schools
What is socialisation?
The process by which professionals learn the attitudes and behaviours necessary to assume the role of their profession eg. communication skills learnt
Why is medical education important professionally?
Turn lay person into professional
Need to be able to self-regulate knowledge
Need to be able to be trusted without supervision
Give 3 criticisms of professions
Protected monopolies
Can be self-limiting
Seek to optimise own interests
Self regulation is deceiving
Give 3 reasons why it is systematically hard to self-regulate as a profession
Professional etiquette discourages complaint making
Patients may be discredited when complaining
Whistleblowers not believed
NHS disciplinary procedures costly and inhibiting
How did the White Paper (2007) end self-regulation?
Proposed wide-ranging reforms
GMC now has lay members and professional members
All members are appointed independently
Why may someone be called for a Fitness to Practice interview?
Misconduct
Poor performance
Criminal conviction
Physical or mental ill health
What are some of the actions after a FTP meeting?
Place conditions
Suspend registration
Remove from medical register
What is revalidation?
Previously a doctor would stay on the register unless actively removed. Now doctors are revalidated every 5 years.
What 3 things are required for revalidation?
Participate in annual appraisals based off Good Medical Practice
Maintain portfolio
Positive recommendation from a responsible officer
Give examples of things which make up a doctor’s portfolio
Records of significant events
Patient/colleague feedback
Review of a complaint/compliment
Why may clinical autonomy be at risk?
Too many guidelines Inspection and monitoring Pay for performance Performance league tables Reputational sanctions
Describe Freidson’s critiques of the medical profession
Doctors need independent moral voice and thus require independence of judgement and freedom of action