Consultation outcome

Changing how the GMC decides on doctors’ fitness to practise

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government
This consultation has concluded

Read the full outcome

Detail of outcome

The consultation responses demonstrated strong support for strengthening the separation between the General Medical Council’s investigation and adjudication role in fitness to practise procedures. Establishing the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service as a statutory committee of the GMC, is in our view the right means of achieving this.


Original consultation

Summary

Seeks views on changes to the way the GMC decides on a doctors’ fitness to practise and the PSA’s power to refer cases to higher courts.

This consultation ran from
to

Consultation description

The General Medical Council (GMC) is responsible for regulating doctors and the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) oversees the regulation of all healthcare professionals, protecting the health and safety of the public by ensuring fitness to practise.

We are seeking views on proposed changes to the way each body carries out its regulatory functions, including:

  • establishing the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service as a statutory committee of the GMC
  • strengthening adjudication procedures
  • confirming the objectives of the GMC and its fitness to practise functions
  • amending the grounds on which the PSA can refer fitness to practise panel decisions to the higher courts and introducing a new right of appeal for the GMC

The Scottish government are also jointly consulting using this consultation paper for professions for whom responsibility is devolved in Scotland.

Documents

Updates to this page

Published 31 July 2014
Last updated 16 January 2015 + show all updates
  1. added the response to the consultation on how General Medical Council decides on doctors’ fitness to practise

  2. First published.

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