'Peer reviews’ for doctors?

Press, 15 August 1978, Page 6

' Peer reviews’ for doctors?

Recognition by the medical profession of the need ■ for regular reassessment by their colleagues must form! an integral part of post-; graduate education in New s Zealand, according to Dr J.i K. Laing, acting chairman of the Christchurch Hospitals’ Medical Staff Association. Commenting yesterday at a meeting of the Institutions Committee of the North Canterbury Hospital Board, on what tie termed the need i for “peer reviews,” Dr Laing said that this should happer because of public concerr about doctors’ standards. If no action was taken or peer review procedures, doc tors might have to face the j threat of calls for re-regis-i

tration, which had happened overseas, he said. The Christchurch Hospi- . lais' Medical Staff Associ-: , ation, the Post Graduate Society, the Medical Associ- 5 I ation and the Christchurch Clinical School all strongly. supported the setting up of a post-graduate training! centre in Christchurch, he said. Doctors were willing to| give this practical support! in the form of levies. ! Last Friday the annual 5 meeting of the Royal New; Zealand and Australian Col-; ege of Psychiatrists, held in Christchurch, also agreed to’; nursue the principle of set-j •_ing up “peer review” as-1 j sessment on their particular! I medical speciality.