The case of gynaecologist Richard Neale once again raises serious questions about how effective the General Medical Council (GMC) is at regulating the medical profession.

Richard Neale follows a number of high profile scandals involving doctors.

These include the cases of the surgeon Rodney Ledward, the seriel killer Harold Shipman and the Bristol babies scandal.

Earlier this month, doctors passed a motion of no confidence in the GMC at their annual conference and next week a Labour MP is to put forward a motion in parliament calling for an end to self-regulation for the medical profession.

Frank Cook, MP for Stockport, said: "I will look at it on Tuesday and will probably table a motion on Wednesday or Thursday."

The GMC has been criticised for allowing Richard Neale to practice on his return to the UK in 1985, despite having been banned from practising in Canada.

Mr Neale was struck off the Canadian medical register after he was found guilty of killing two female patients.

Details of his case were passed from the Medical Council of Canada to the GMC.

However, the GMC decided against taking any action at that time.

The GMC says it cannot strike a doctor off the medical register on the basis of a judgement made by another regulatory abroad.

In order for it to attempt to strike a doctor off for professional misconduct, it must re-hear the case.

In many instances, this would mean having to hear the evidence of individual patients in the UK and flying them to London for the hearing.

However, the GMC's decision not to pursue Mr Neale in 1986 allowed him to work in the UK largely unchallenged until patient's began to complain a couple of years ago.

Those complaints triggered one of the biggest investigations and one of the longest hearings in the history of the GMC.

Easy target

The GMC claims it has become an "easy target". It says the blame for not catching incompetent doctors earlier can also be laid at the door of local hospitals and health trusts, who can monitor performances on a day-by-day basis.

And it claims it is restrained by the laws governing the way it regulates and disciplines the medical profession.

A spokesman for the GMC said: "There are 100,000 doctors working in the NHS and we simply can't monitor them all, all of the time.

"The local employers have a duty to raise concerns. We can only act if we receive a complaint.

"Historically, the two systems have not dovetailed well together, and we are talking with the NHS to ensure the systems do dovetail better."

The GMC is adamant it did not receive any complaints about Neale from the time he arrived in the UK from Canada in 1985, to 1998 when the first allegations were received.

But colleagues at the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton say they did contact the GMC to ask about his registration and career in Canada because they were concerned about his performance.

The GMC has also admitted that after three years, all records relating to Neale were destroyed.

It is GMC policy to destroy all records of complaints made against a doctor which are not followed up after three years.

The spokesman said: "It is felt that it is unfair to keep unproven and often unfounded allegations against a doctor hanging over his head forever.

"This is not just an issue for the GMC - it is a societal issue - should doctors be subjected to that kind of thing?"

But this meant that despite his bungling overseas, as far as the GMC was concerned, Neale's slate was clean.