THERE will be disquiet over today's revelation that many hospital trusts have not carried out criminal checks on staff who started work before tough new vetting rules came into force, but let us not panic.
Trusts are not required by law to check staff who began work before the Criminal Records Bureau came into being in 2002.
The task of doing so would be vast and would bog down already hard-pressed health staff who could spend their time far more productively.
And, quite rightly, health officials point out that employees in sensitive posts - such as those working closely with children - would have undergone police checks under the old vetting regime.
NHS trusts should show vigilance - ensuring that its employees are behaving appropriately.
But it is important to keep this matter in perspective and not allow our fears to overcome commonsense.