Black list of doctors

29.4.2009

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3434/09
by Dorette Corbey (PSE)
to the Commission

It recently came to public attention in the Netherlands that a doctor who had already been fined in Germany for causing death through negligence was nonetheless working at a Dutch hospital. Tragically, this doctor also made mistakes in the Netherlands, and a number of patients died as a result. This could probably have been avoided by means of a coordinated exchange of information between Germany and the Netherlands on prosecutions of, and disciplinary measures against, doctors and specialists.

On 23 April 2009, in the report on patients' rights in cross-border healthcare, the European Parliament adopted an amendment making it compulsory to exchange information about disciplinary and criminal findings against health professionals (Article 13(2)(c)). On the basis of this information, a black list may be drawn up enabling hospitals and patients to ascertain that a foreign doctor is not in some way incompetent.

1. Is the Commission convinced that it is worthwhile to encourage the drawing-up of a black list or to facilitate information exchanges in some other way?

2. Can the Commission provide any information about the number of doctors and specialists who go to work abroad?

3. Can the Commission provide any information on how the Member States draw up black lists in their own country? What criteria apply in the various countries?

4. Will the Commission take action to enable a European black list to be drawn up as soon as possible?

OJ C 189, 13/07/2010