ABSTRACT
In 1997 theGMC introduced procedures under anew committee, the Commit tee on Professional Performance (CPP), to investigate doctors whose practice put their patients at unacceptable risk. The report produced by the School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield (ScHARR) provided the backdrop,1 the work of Southgate provided the means of assessment,2 and the law under pinned the whole exercise. At the same time health authorities were urged to introduce assessment procedures for doctors whose work was below an accept able standard but not poor enough to be drawn to the attention of the GMC, and who were thought to be amenable to improvement with local help. Some health authorities responded to the call immediately, others tarried, but local support groups (LSGs) or their equivalents under other titles (these days the term perfor mance panel is often used) eventually appeared everywhere. In some areas the task was devolved to PCOs, usually to the chairs of their clinical governance subcommittees, who might call on general practice tutors to help. Now that health authorities are evolving into strategic health authorities the respon sibility for this work will devolve to PCTs, which will need to allot funds and find the people to make it work. The operative date for the system to be in place is 1 October 2002.
