Do doctors ever have to undergo medical fitness checks?

Aircraft pilots have to go for regular health checks throughout their career, some other professionals too where others safety depends on the body and mind of the professional being in fit shape. What about doctors, are any checks required?

Recently my own GP has been showing signs of not quite being able to carry out tasks in his computer system, and has made a few prescribing errors. Today I discovered one medicine he had prescribed is specifically for pregnant women, to lessen risk of miscarriage. I’m 62 years old and in menopause, the medication I requested was part of a menopause treatment. A similar type prescribing error was made not so long ago, picked up on by the pharmacist.

Then I discovered that an urgent referral had not reached a public hospital. GP made another attempt on the computer to send it, as I sat there observing. He appeared to be struggling to use the system, and couldn’t find the link to the procedure to refer to the hospital. Instead he printed a generic referral letter and asked me to hand deliver it.

He asserted that a private hospital where I had been admitted a couple of months ago never sent any notes back to him, even though the consultant who had looked after me assured me he had done and sent a copy of the letter he had forwarded to the GP. I requested a copy of all my records to be sent directly to me from that private hospital and I showed them to my GP, who didn’t even glance at them, but asked me to go through them myself and insert copies of any pages I thought especially relevant in which the referral envelope.

I’m now inclined to believe said GP has some issues, be they sight related (eg macular degeneration) or a cognitive problem. GPs are having to work beyond normal retirement age these times, and although some are very fit in all respects there is bound to be a cohort who start to suffer age related problems that aren’t compatible with carrying out the onerous decision making duties of a GP.

That’s why I question is there any requirement for them to prove they remain (eg maybe over age 65) with the capacity to practise? Has anyone encountered such issues with their doctor?

Dunph

To the first part of of your concern, some treatments used for miscarriage prevention (eg progestogens) are also used in menopause. Prescription errors generally are quite common, due to the sheer volume of prescriptions being processed on a daily basis. To the other areas, in my experience unfortunately private and public clinics give patients entirely unrealistic expectations on when reports and results will be sent, and in some instances never send them at all. I have also experienced instances where referrals which should go through automatically and instantaneously do not in fact do so. I have had embarrassing encounters with my patients caused by these issues. Some GPs may have some issues getting used to the use of new practice software features.

However, to the meat of your question, no, doctors do not undergo mandatory health tests. There are ethical requirements and guidelines but it is essentially self regulating. There is a mandatory retirement age which I believe is 72.

AndrewJRenko

I know GPs have to undergo mandatory annual training hours.

Aha, I wonder would issues with cognitive problems be flagged. Cognitive issues vary by disease. Was just listening to an intelligent well-informed lady on the radio today describing how Lewy Body Dementia affects her, she is fully aware she has it, can describe the nightmares, hallucinations and disorientation very well, and no doubt that if she were a doctor she would have signed herself into retirement.

Some conditions that cause cognitive issues creep upon a person without their being much aware of how they are affected in the eyes of those around them. Alzheimers can cause subtle memory loss that is at first difficult to tell from mild memory loss through natural ageing, and a sole GP could carry on well pass their capacity to safely practice.

I sometimes wonder do GPs and other doctors who might operate in relative isolation, sometimes get advised to cease being in practice, and how it comes about. In England there had been some concerns from undertakers about Dr Shipman, but I think it took a deceased’s patient’s family who blew the whistle when encountering her altered will.

I wonder have there been cases where a pharmacist got so many erroneous prescriptions that they took it upon themselves to talk to the doctor, who maybe says “I’m fine”, and then has to go above their head and make a report to the Medical Council. I wonder too has it sometimes been concerned patients themselves who have connected and come to realise there is an underlying issue. Or indeed fellow practice GPs, practice nurse, practice manager after observing a series of basic obvious errors.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120796518#Comment_120796518

That is a pretty serious allegation about your GPs ability to do the job.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120797305#Comment_120797305

Well, there have been some quite serious issues.