LOCAL doctors will face a catalogue of changes following the case of evil doctor Harold Shipman .
The General Medical Council is developing proposals to strengthen the bond of trust between a doctor and patients.
It is proposing to bring in assessment and revalidation of all doctors' licences to practice at five yearly intervals, and to set up annual appraisals of all doctors, including GPs.
Doctors will also have to disclose past criminal convictions or professional censures to prospective partners including health authorities.
And health authorities will have the power to suspend GPs if patients are at risk.
Participation in an external clinical audit will also be made mandatory.
It is intended to make it compulsory for GPs to report deaths in their surgeries and other serious incidents to health authorities.
These are some of the new safeguards announced in the Commons by the Secretary of State for Health, Mr Alan Milburn, on Tuesday following the 15 life sentences served on the practitioner at Preston Crown Court following the murders of his elderly patients.
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