Britain's 150,000 doctors will have to show they are fit to practice once every five years in the nation's biggest change to medical regulation for 150 years.

Doctors falling below standard risk being struck off the medical register unless they improve, under plans published by England's Chief Medical Officer Liam Donaldson on Wednesday.

At present doctors can only be debarred if complaints about their conduct or medical practice are upheld by regulators at the General Medical Council.

Last year the GMC struck off a total of 60 doctors.

Most doctors already undergo annual peer performance reviews, looking at factors such as prescribing habits and how up to date they are on the latest medical advice and research.

Under the new scheme these reviews will be standardized¹ and patients will also be asked for their views on issues such as doctors' communication skills and ability to involve the patient in treatment decisions.

The new appraisals² will begin in pilots in late 2009. Doctors will need to be recertified as competent every five years.

"There hasn't been that process before," said a Department of Health spokeswoman. "Once someone was certified³ they could be a doctor for 50 years, the way the current system works."

GMC President Graeme Catto said the plans were "the biggest change to medical regulation in one hundred and fifty years."

 英国将推行150年来最大的一次医疗管理制度改革，今后英国的15万名医生每五年要接受一次行医资格审查。

英国首席医疗官李安姆•唐纳德森于本周三公布的改革方案规定，经审查不合格的医生如在一段时间内无改进，将面临被吊销行医执照的危险。

目前，英国的医生只有在被医疗委员会认定为不称职的情况下才可被吊销执照。

去年，医疗委员会共取消了60名医生的行医资格。

目前英国大多数医生已开始接受年度行业考核，考核的内容包括开立处方的习惯以及在医疗方面的新建议和医学研究进展等。

而新规定要求，这些考核将走向规范化，而且要将病人的意见考虑进去，比如他们对医生的沟通技巧和让病人参与医治决定能力的评价等。

新考核体系将于明年底开始试推行，医生们须每五年更新一次执照。

英国卫生部的一名女发言人说：“以前我们从未有过这一制度。按照现行制度，行医执照的有效期为50年。”

医疗委员会主席格拉姆•卡托说，这将是“英国150年来最重大的一次医疗管理制度改革”。