Calls for checks on European GPs

A body which represents GPs has called for a "radical review" of out-of-hours care following the death of a Cambridgeshire man.

David Gray, 70, was given a massive dose of painkillers by German locum doctor Daniel Ubani in 2008.

The head of the Royal College of GPs Professor Steve Field said a review was needed to stop European doctors flying to the UK to cover weekend shifts.

Dr Ubani had flown in to work for a Cambridgeshire health trust.

He said extreme tiredness had contributed to his mistake. Dr Ubani was given a nine-month suspended sentence in Germany for negligence.

'Appropriate services'

Professor Field said the Royal College of GPs (RCGP) was worried about the quality of out-of-hours care provided for patients in some parts of the country.

"I am particularly worried about the use of doctors from Europe flying in to provide out-of-hours care and then flying back to their home countries to provide services there.

"It's not good for patients here or in their home countries."

He said the RCGP was "not convinced" that appropriate checks are being made by primary care organisations to ensure GPs from Europe who come to work for out-of-hours services are of the same quality as "home-grown doctors".

All UK-trained doctors have to reach the standard set by the RCGP by passing its examination, which includes spending time in a training practice, he added.

In June, the Care Quality Commission began an inquiry in to the services of Take Care Now, the company which supplied Dr Ubani.

Take Care Now provides cover for Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Worcestershire and parts of Essex and Norfolk.

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