Most doctors are not in favour of a government proposal to set up a complaints office outside the jurisdiction of the Medical Council, a survey has revealed.
The doctors have also overwhelmingly opposed a plan to link the yearly renewal of their licences to continuing medical education, the same study showed.
A total of 2,400 doctors returned questionnaires prepared by legislator Dr Lo Wing-lok, a member of a Medical Council working group on reforming the council. Initial analysis of 1,967 replies found that 92 per cent agreed that the power to investigate medical complaints on doctors should remain with the Medical Council.
Ninety-one per cent disagreed with plans that their annual licence renewals be pegged with attendances at continuing medical education sessions.
Dr Lo said yesterday he did not believe that the final results would significantly depart from these findings. He will submit the findings to a Medical Council working group, which has asked for public submissions on how the disciplinary body should be reformed. Submissions close on August 28.
The working group, chaired by former council chairman Professor Felice Lieh-Mak, has proposed that an in-house complaint receiving division be set up by the council.
