Do Medical Providers Really Police Themselves?

Advocates of Tort reform are constantly making the claim that Medical Malpractice Attorneys are not needed to police the medical community because they police themselves.   Linda Shrieves of the Orlando Sentinel reports that State Medical Boards have failed to punish more than half of the doctors who have their hospital rights revoked or privileges restricted. 

32 states are guilty of letting more than half of the offending doctors slide by without reprimand. Unfortunately, Florida's reprimand rate is even lower than that.  These statistics are alarming because Florida's State legislature continues to take away citizens rights to hold their doctors accountable for wrongdoing based in part on the belief that the State medical board will do it.  In reality it appears that is not true.  The State Medical Board either neglects to do anything about it, or they are just not receiving the information at all. 

Across the Nation, In the last 20 years 5,800 doctors were thrown off hospital staffs.  In many cases the State Medical board did not discipline those doctor and they are still practicing medicine.  One Florida doctor had hospital privileges permanently revoked for incompetence and had 10 Medical malpractice reports, including two wrongful death cases.  The State of Florida did nothing to discipline this doctor, and he may still be practicing medicine. 

This report is evidence that the medical community cannot handle policing itself and Personal Injury attorneys are needed to ensure that negligent doctors are held responsible for their actions.