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South Korean doctors end crippling strike
POLICY AND PEOPLE
Japan’s new guidelines to expose doctors’ errors he Japanese government is drawing up new guidelines to deal with medical malpractice amid growing public concern about hospital mishaps and how they are reported. According to the Health and Welfare Ministry, the new measures will specify the circumstances under which doctors must notify police about accidents that lead to the death or injury of patients. Under the plan, which is expected to be completed by September, the onus will be on doctors to prove that they were not at fault in the event of an unexpected fatality. If there is any doubt, they will be expected to seek the advice of police about
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whether a report should be filed. The decision to draw up such guidelines is a consequence of the changing relationship between doctors and patients in Japan. According to the Supreme Court, patients and their relatives filed a record number of lawsuits relating to medical malpractice last year. The figure has increased by 80% since 1990. This increase is said to reflect a heightened awareness of patients’ rights and a growing recognition that doctors are as fallible and prone to cover-up their errors as anyone else. Jonathan Watts
South Korean doctors end crippling strike
O
n June 26, tens of thousands of forced to make money by prescribdoctors in South Korea called ing and dispensing drugs because of off their 6-day strike, which low consultation fees. Despite the brought the coundecision to end try’s medical serthe strike, one of Rights were not granted vices to a virtual the worst in the standstill with country’s history, to include this image in reports of several the controversy electronic media. Please strike-related over enforcement refer to the printed deaths. of new rules journal. The doctors remains and docreturned to work t o r s after the ruling and pharmacists and opposition Doctors’ strike comes to an end remain at loggerparties promised heads over plans to revise a proposed medical to enforce the reform law next month in a special new system. session of the National Assembly to KMA president, Kim Jae-Jung give doctors more authority to diswarned that, “if the government pense drugs. After the announcedoes not fulfil its promise to revise ment, the Korean Medical the law in accordance with our Association (KMA), which led the demands by the end of next month, strike, held a ballot in which about we are prepared to begin another 52% of its members voted to reopen struggle”. Meanwhile, the Korean their clinics and hospitals. Pharmaceutical Association (KPA) Doctors had been protesting threatened to boycott the proposals against the proposed law, which if the revised law favours doctors. from July 1 would have barred doc“In that case 50 000 pharmacists tors from selling medicines to outand 20 000 pharmacies would boypatients and prevented pharmacists cott the new system”, warned Kim from writing prescriptions. Hee-Jung. Currently, doctors and pharmacists Meanwhile, a consumer-rights are allowed to prescribe and sell organisation in Seoul has sued medicine. The government said the KMA and the head of a private law is aimed to control widespread clinic on behalf of a couple whose over-prescription of medicine by newborn premature baby died durhospitals and to separate the duties ing the strike. The couple has called of doctors and pharmacists. for W140 billion in compensation. Doctors argue that most of 19 000 Another lawsuit has been filed clinics and hospitals in South Korea against the head of the Korea would not survive under the new University Hospital and a doctor system which, they claim, is more working there after a patient died generous to pharmacists. They also during the strike. complained that they have been
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News in brief HIV patient compensated A Japanese court ruled on June 12 that a company had broken the law by firing a worker who was found to be HIV-positive in a test done without his knowledge. The Chiba district court annulled the dismissal and ordered Takigawa Chemical Industry to pay the JapaneseBrazillian plaintiff US$63 000 in compensation. Judge Yukio Nishijima also found the Ichikawa Higashi Municipal hospital guilty of violating the man’s privacy by doing the test without his consent. Dioxin emissions settlement A long-running dispute over dioxin emissions from an incinerator in Osaka, Japan, moved closer to a settlement on June 16 when a mediation panel proposed that the plant’s operator pay US$7·1 million in compensation to the local community. Osaka Prefecture said Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding should provide the cash to clean up the Nose incinerator site, supply mineral water to local residents, and monitor their health for 20 years. UK doctors’ meeting At the British Medical Association (BMA)’s annual meeting on June 26 the chairman of the BMA, Ian Bogle, admitted that UK doctors had had a “terrible year” and warned members to expect more medical scandals this year. The main reason for Bogle’s prediction is that systems put in place to catch incompetent doctors have improved considerably, and not that there are more cases of problem doctors. Bogle backed national plans to assess doctors fitness to practice and looked forward to the National Plan for the National Health Service, which will be published later this month. Stem-cell research considered The American Heart Association (AHA) has allowed proposals for stem-cell research as part of its research grant programme. AHA also supported federal funding for stem-cell research, which has sparked controversy around the world (Lancet 2000; 355: 1342) as it involves using human embryonic tissue. AHA is writing stem-cell research guidelines, which will take about 6 months to complete.
THE LANCET • Vol 356 • July 1, 2000
For personal use only. Not to be reproduced without permission of The Lancet.
Japan’s new guidelines to expose doctors’ errors he Japanese government is drawing up new guidelines to deal with medical malpractice amid growing public concern about hospital mishaps and how they are reported. According to the Health and Welfare Ministry, the new measures will specify the circumstances under which doctors must notify police about accidents that lead to the death or injury of patients. Under the plan, which is expected to be completed by September, the onus will be on doctors to prove that they were not at fault in the event of an unexpected fatality. If there is any doubt, they will be expected to seek the advice of police about
T
whether a report should be filed. The decision to draw up such guidelines is a consequence of the changing relationship between doctors and patients in Japan. According to the Supreme Court, patients and their relatives filed a record number of lawsuits relating to medical malpractice last year. The figure has increased by 80% since 1990. This increase is said to reflect a heightened awareness of patients’ rights and a growing recognition that doctors are as fallible and prone to cover-up their errors as anyone else. Jonathan Watts
South Korean doctors end crippling strike
O
n June 26, tens of thousands of forced to make money by prescribdoctors in South Korea called ing and dispensing drugs because of off their 6-day strike, which low consultation fees. Despite the brought the coundecision to end try’s medical serthe strike, one of Rights were not granted vices to a virtual the worst in the standstill with country’s history, to include this image in reports of several the controversy electronic media. Please strike-related over enforcement refer to the printed deaths. of new rules journal. The doctors remains and docreturned to work t o r s after the ruling and pharmacists and opposition Doctors’ strike comes to an end remain at loggerparties promised heads over plans to revise a proposed medical to enforce the reform law next month in a special new system. session of the National Assembly to KMA president, Kim Jae-Jung give doctors more authority to diswarned that, “if the government pense drugs. After the announcedoes not fulfil its promise to revise ment, the Korean Medical the law in accordance with our Association (KMA), which led the demands by the end of next month, strike, held a ballot in which about we are prepared to begin another 52% of its members voted to reopen struggle”. Meanwhile, the Korean their clinics and hospitals. Pharmaceutical Association (KPA) Doctors had been protesting threatened to boycott the proposals against the proposed law, which if the revised law favours doctors. from July 1 would have barred doc“In that case 50 000 pharmacists tors from selling medicines to outand 20 000 pharmacies would boypatients and prevented pharmacists cott the new system”, warned Kim from writing prescriptions. Hee-Jung. Currently, doctors and pharmacists Meanwhile, a consumer-rights are allowed to prescribe and sell organisation in Seoul has sued medicine. The government said the KMA and the head of a private law is aimed to control widespread clinic on behalf of a couple whose over-prescription of medicine by newborn premature baby died durhospitals and to separate the duties ing the strike. The couple has called of doctors and pharmacists. for W140 billion in compensation. Doctors argue that most of 19 000 Another lawsuit has been filed clinics and hospitals in South Korea against the head of the Korea would not survive under the new University Hospital and a doctor system which, they claim, is more working there after a patient died generous to pharmacists. They also during the strike. complained that they have been
54
News in brief HIV patient compensated A Japanese court ruled on June 12 that a company had broken the law by firing a worker who was found to be HIV-positive in a test done without his knowledge. The Chiba district court annulled the dismissal and ordered Takigawa Chemical Industry to pay the JapaneseBrazillian plaintiff US$63 000 in compensation. Judge Yukio Nishijima also found the Ichikawa Higashi Municipal hospital guilty of violating the man’s privacy by doing the test without his consent. Dioxin emissions settlement A long-running dispute over dioxin emissions from an incinerator in Osaka, Japan, moved closer to a settlement on June 16 when a mediation panel proposed that the plant’s operator pay US$7·1 million in compensation to the local community. Osaka Prefecture said Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding should provide the cash to clean up the Nose incinerator site, supply mineral water to local residents, and monitor their health for 20 years. UK doctors’ meeting At the British Medical Association (BMA)’s annual meeting on June 26 the chairman of the BMA, Ian Bogle, admitted that UK doctors had had a “terrible year” and warned members to expect more medical scandals this year. The main reason for Bogle’s prediction is that systems put in place to catch incompetent doctors have improved considerably, and not that there are more cases of problem doctors. Bogle backed national plans to assess doctors fitness to practice and looked forward to the National Plan for the National Health Service, which will be published later this month. Stem-cell research considered The American Heart Association (AHA) has allowed proposals for stem-cell research as part of its research grant programme. AHA also supported federal funding for stem-cell research, which has sparked controversy around the world (Lancet 2000; 355: 1342) as it involves using human embryonic tissue. AHA is writing stem-cell research guidelines, which will take about 6 months to complete.
THE LANCET • Vol 356 • July 1, 2000
For personal use only. Not to be reproduced without permission of The Lancet.