Sir Richard Thompson, president of the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), welcomed today's House of Lords Social Policies and Consumer Protection EU Sub-Committee report, Safety First: Mobility of Healthcare Professionals in the EU. The report addressed many of the RCP’s concerns about the sharing of fitness to practice information between countries and language competence and testing. Sir Richard said:
While the report makes clear and substantive recommendations to improve patient safety in the long-term, we hope that it will also accelerate action in the short-term, including immediate efforts to clarify the precise responsibilities of employers and the competent authorities for assessing language so as to reduce the current confusion.
For further information, please contact Linda Cuthbertson, head of PR, on +44 (0)203 075 1254 / 0774 877 7919, or email Linda.Cuthbertson@rcplondon.ac.uk