Victory in Europe

The GOC has claimed victory in the European Parliament after a three-year battle against moves to allow EU health professionals to work in any EU state unchecked for four months.
However, concerns remain about the exchange between countries of information on foreign practitioners' fitness to practise.
It was in 2002 that the European Parliament signalled the possibility that boundaries between health services across Europe could be lowered. The original draft of the 'Directive on the Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications' would have allowed healthcare professionals from any EU country to work for up to four months per year, every year, in the UK, without being registered with a UK regulator.
In practice, this would have meant that if there was a problem with the care a patient received, the UK regulators would have no powers to take action against the professional in question. 
However, it has now been confirmed that this idea has been dropped from the final text of the Directive.
The GOC and other UK health regulatory bodies within AURE (Alliance of UK Health Regulators on Europe) have applauded the decision to drop the '16 weeks' provision clause.
Peter Coe, GOC registrar, said this week: 'Since the launch of the draft Directive in 2002, the GOC, through AURE, has successfully lobbied the European Institutions to improve aspects of the text - including the so-called 16 weeks provision. The GOC believes the final text represents an important victory for patient safety in Europe.'
AURE also welcomed the strengthened provision for the exchange of fitness to practise and disciplinary information among state regulators, but said further steps must now be taken to bring about an effective mechanism to share data 'that really functions in practice'.
Hew Mathewson, president of the General Dental Council, warned: 'The issue of information exchange is of key importance in protecting patients across Europe.
'AURE has long argued that EU initiatives to facilitate the free movement of EEA migrants must be coupled with arrangements guaranteeing the systematic exchange of fitness to practise information between all member states. Without such arrangements, public protection will be compromised.'
david.challinor@rbi.co.uk
Optometry in Europe - page 29