Telemedicine needs greater regulation

26 August 2010

Concerns over the provision of telemedicine by practitioners based outside the UK has prompted calls for greater regulation by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges.

The Academy wants telemedicine to be regulated like all other forms of medicine and to meet the same safety standards.

In a statement the Academy contends: "The Care Quality Commission should require all providers of medical services to ensure that they can verify the qualifications and registration status of every doctor providing medical services to UK patients, wherever that doctor is located.

"Healthcare providers should not rely on contractual arrangements between telemedicine companies and their employees, nor on indemnity provided by these companies, to guarantee the quality of patient care."

The Academy is calling for patients to be made aware if part of their care is devolved to a doctor working outside the UK. It must also be made explicit that a UK-based healthcare provider who commissions a telemedicine-based service should remain legally liable for any damage that may arise as a result of poor medical care, whether delivered conventionally or by telemedicine. The UK-based healthcare provider must not be allowed to devolve this responsibility to a telemedicine provider.

The Academy statement adds: "All doctors providing medical services to patients in the UK, whether locally or by telemedicine, should be required by healthcare providers to register with the General Medical Council. Ultimately this should be a legal requirement."