New reform plans will see doctors face an appraisal every year to ensure they are fit to practise.

The "revalidation" plans are to be introduced by the General Medical Council (GMC) by the end of 2012, it is hoped.

The annual appraisal will draw on feedback from patients and colleagues, with doctors required to show they are up to the clinical standards expected.

They will also have to demonstrate that they are aware of developments and changes relevant to them.

The revalidation would take the form of an annual appraisal and a fuller meeting every five years.

Identifying potentially dangerous doctors is seen in some quarters as "almost an insignificant part" of the appraisal process, according to a report from the Commons Health Committee.

At present, doctors can go for their entire career without facing any formal assessment of their competency.

Audits of how patients fare after seeing their doctor will also be included, alongside a requirement to ensure there are no causes for concern in how a doctor works.

The reforms are designed to help protect patients from another killer like GP Harold Shipman.

Shipman, from Hyde in Greater Manchester, murdered more than 200 people over a period of 23 years.

In the new report, MPs agreed that the focus of revalidation for most doctors should be a commitment to improvement.

Copyright ⌐ Press Association 2011