Foreign doctors ‘to face language tests before they can work in hospitals’ after complaints about poor care

New powers to test doctors' language skills could be introduced after a survey showed that patients' lives were being put at risk.

An alarming 66 cases were investigated by senior NHS staff in 2011after patients complained that they had received poor treatment from doctors who had a poor grasp of the English language.
In an attempt to tackle the problem, the Government has proposed introducing language tests specifically for doctors arriving from EU countries in what would amount to a change to EU law.

Powers: The Government is seeking for a change to EU law to allow the GMC to test language skills of doctors

Although the General Medical Council can test the English of doctors from non EU countries, it has been banned from testing the skills of those arriving from member states since 1983.
More than 25,000 doctors from the EU are registered to practice in the UK, none of whom have ever been tested for their English skills.
Health minister Dr Dan Poulter said: 'Overseas doctors make a hugely valuable contribution to the NHS but it is clear that tougher checks are needed.
'We have already strengthened the way doctors' language skills are checked at a local level.

Important step: Health minister Dan Poulter said the change would prevent doctors with limited English from practicing in the UK

'These new powers are an important step in making the system even stronger by allowing the GMC to carry out checks on a national level before they start work in the UK and prevent doctors who do not have the necessary knowledge of English from treating patients.'

Roughly half of the 500 senior doctors responsible for investigating complaints took part in a poll, which revealed the scale of the language problem.
In 2008 German Dr Daniel Urbani killed Cambridge patient David Gray when he confused two drugs and gave him 10 times the recommended dose of diamorphine.
Under the Government's plans, the GMC would not be given the right to automatically test all EU doctors, but it would be able to carry out tests if concerns were raised when they registered to work.
Inspectors could be given the right to check competency when looking at qualifications, how long doctors have been registered in other countries and what experience they have.
Red flags might include doctors turning up with interpreters, poor English in interviews or poor written English on application forms.
Any worries could then prompt full testing of the doctor's language skills.
The new plans would also allow the GMC to assess any doctor if language concerns arise during a fitness-to-practise investigation.
At present, the GMC has no powers to carry out such checks during its hearings.

Lethal dose: Dr Daniel Urbani killed a patient after confusing two different drugs

Chief executive of the GMC Niall Dickson said: 'We are delighted that the Government is consulting on changes to the Medical Act to give us new powers to check the English language skills of all doctors when we have concerns about them.

'This is an important move that will help protect patients and will be welcomed across the country.'
A spokesman for the British Medical Association (BMA) said: 'It is vital for clinical safety that doctors working in the UK have the appropriate English language skills to communicate effectively with colleagues and their patients.
'The BMA believes that it is right that we consider enhancing the GMC's powers to ensure doctors working in the UK can speak English well enough before they treat patients.'
At a local level, staff called responsible officers - appointed senior doctors - already have a legal duty to make sure doctors can speak English to perform their role.
Since April, there has also been one, single national list which every GP has to be on before they can treat NHS patients.
The new changes are expected to come into force next year. A 12-week consultation on the proposals will run until December 2