The Medical Profession (Responsible Officers) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010

Responsibilities of responsible officers: prescribed connection under regulation 8

9.—(1) The responsible officer for a designated body has the following responsibilities relating to the evaluation of the fitness to practise of every medical practitioner who has a prescribed connection with that body by virtue of regulation 8.

(2) The responsibilities referred to in paragraph (1) are—

(a) to ensure that the designated body carries out regular appraisals on medical practitioners in accordance with paragraph (3);

(b) to establish and implement procedures to investigate concerns about a medical practitioner’s fitness to practise raised by patients or staff of the designated body or arising from any other source;

(c) where appropriate, to refer concerns about the medical practitioner to the General Council;

(d) where a medical practitioner is subject to conditions imposed by, or undertakings agreed with, the General Council, to monitor compliance with those conditions or undertakings;

(e) to make recommendations to the General Council about medical practitioners’ fitness to practice;

(f) to maintain records of medical practitioners’ fitness to practise evaluations, including appraisals and any other investigations or assessments.

(3) The responsible officer must ensure that appraisals carried out under paragraph (2)(a) obtain and take into account all available information relating to the medical practitioner’s fitness to practise in the work carried out by the medical practitioner for the designated body and for any other body, during the appraisal period.

(4) Procedures under paragraph (2)(b) must include provision for the medical practitioner’s comments to be sought and taken into account where appropriate.

(5) Responsible officers must co-operate with the General Council and any of its committees, or any persons authorised by the General Council, in connection with the exercise by them of any of their functions under Part 3A or 5 of the Act.