The role of nursing and nurse manager jobs could be expanded to help decide whether doctors are fit to practice, under new plans currently being developed.

Nurse input has been stressed as an extremely important part of plans for doctor revalidation, according to Nursing Times. Currently plans for revalidation, or regular competency assessments, are under consultation by the General Medical Council.

Under the proposed plans, nurses would provide written replies to questions over doctor performance. This would include feedback on areas such as clinical skills, prescribing, time management and communication abilities.

Speaking to the Nursing Times, GMC Chief Executive Niall Dickinson stressed the importance of colleague feedback between doctors, nurses and those in nurse manager positions. Jobs in medicine are "not practiced in isolation," said Dickinson, "while patient feedback will be important, it may be that these colleagues provide the sort of insightful comments that can really help professionals to improve their clinical, communication and team-working skills and these improvements will benefit doctors.''

Currently, the proposed revalidation scheme is being researched by the Exeter University's Peninsula Medical School, with the findings expected in early 2011. Ten sites across England and Wales are currently operating pilot schemes as part of this research, with doctors at the sites being asked to select 20 colleagues each to provide expert feedback.

John Campbell, professor of general practice and primary care, told Nursing Times that "Nurses input is very important. They often have a lot of insight into how their doctors are operating and can influence that behaviour."