A language barrier to diagnosis?
October 15, 2010
Posted by:Catherine Bell
Is inadequate language testing of EU doctors contributing to the rise in medical negligence claims?
A survey by medical newspaper Pulse suggests more than 75% of EU doctors working in the UK have undergone no checks on their English language skills.
Niall Dickson, chief executive of the GMC, said the survey "appears to show worrying failings in the system of employer checks, which could put patients at risk." The obvious example is that of German doctor Dr Ubani whose language deficiencies whilst working for an Out of Hours clinic led to the death of David Gray when he prescribed an overdose of diamorphine. Dr Ubani was given a nine-month suspended sentence in Germany for causing death by negligence and banned from working in the UK by the General Medical Council. However, this extreme case is potentially reflective of a wider underlying problem.
The NHS relies on doctors trained abroad, many of whom are excellent, to maintain key frontline services. GPs and dentists, in particular, can only provide a good service if they are able to understand and appropriately question their patients. Communication skills are essential to ensure key symptoms are not overlooked.
I can't help but wonder how many claims resulting from delays and misdiagnosis might have been avoided if GPs and dentists trained elsewhere in the EU were subject to routine language tests.