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Regulators’ update

Health and care regulators

General Chiropractic Council

Consultation on proposed changes to the CPD summary form

The GCC is consulting on changes to the CPD summary that registrants complete annually to tell it about the learning they have undertaken during the year. You can find out more about the consultation, including how to complete the survey from the GCC's website.The consultation is open between 1 May to 12 June 2019.

Annual Fitness to Practise report

The GCC has published its latest annual fitness to practise report. You can read the full report on their website here.

General Dental Council

GDC seeks views on 'working with the dental team for public safety and confidence'

The GDC has launched a consultation on its strategy for 2020-22 'Working with the dental team for public safety and confidence'. The deadline for responses is 30 July 2019. You can find out more from the GDC's website.

General Medical Council

Consultation on doctors should collect and reflect on feedback from their patients

The GMC is consulting on proposed changes to its guidance on how doctors should ask patients for their feedback as part of the revalidation process.

The deadline for responses is 23 July 2019. You can find out more about the consultation and how to respond from the GMC’s website.

General Optical Council

New standards for optical businesses published

The GOC has published its new Standards for Optical Businesses, which will come into effect on 1 October 2019. The final standards have been revised following extensive analysis of the feedback received during a consultation process. The new Standards for Optical Businesses are available from the GOC's website.    

Consultation on draft guidance on disclosing confidential information about patients

The GOC is consulting on new draft guidance on disclosing confidential information about patients. The guidance aims to help GOC registrants decide when they might need to override patient confidentiality in the public interest, for example by telling the DVLA (and potentially others) if a patient is not fit to drive due to inadequate eyesight. The deadline for responding is 13 June 2019. You can find out more from the GOC’s website.

General Osteopathic Council

Draft restoration guidance

The GOsC is proposing the introduction of guidance for its Professional Conduct Committee (PCC) on the arrangements for, and procedure at, a hearing where an osteopath applies to be restored to the Register after they have been removed from the Register following a fitness to practise hearing.

There are two areas where the GOsC would value feedback:

  1. Whether or not a complainant’s views be sought and placed before the Committee as part of its decision-making process?
  2. Should the PCC look for exceptional circumstances before a former registrant is allowed to return to the Register where their application has been made before five years has elapsed since they were removed following a fitness to practise hearing?

The deadline for responding is 20 June 2019.

Registration Assessment process and documentation

The GOsC is also inviting views on proposed revisions to the Registration Assessment process and documentation. The deadline for responding is 6 June 2019.

General Pharmaceutical Council

Consultation on draft guidance for pharmacist prescribers

The GPhC is seeking views on proposed guidance for pharmacist prescribers to make sure they provide safe and effective care when prescribing. The guidance sets out nine key areas that relate to the provision of safe and effective prescribing. The consultation asks for views on a range of areas including:

  • what pharmacist prescribers must do to make sure they can prescribe safely for a person
  • the circumstances in which a pharmacist prescriber can both prescribe and dispense
  • any additional safeguards that should be put in place for remote prescribing of certain medicines.

The consultation is open until 21 June 2019. Find out more from the GPhC’s website.

New safeguards for people seeking medicines online

Online pharmacies in Great Britain will have to follow the GPhC’s updated guidance to protect people getting medicines online. After considering feedback from the sector and patients and the public to proposals published last year, the GPhC has introduced further safeguards for patients and the public in the following key areas:

  • Making sure medicines are clinically appropriate for patients
  • Further safeguards for certain categories of prescription only medicines 
  • Transparency and patient choice
  • Regulatory oversight.

You can find out more from the GPhC’s website.

Health and Care Professions Council

New Whistleblowing policy launched

The HCPC has published its new whistleblowing policy providing guidance on what to do if a registrant is concerned about wrongdoing in the public interest. Forms of wrongdoing include criminal offences, miscarriages of justice or where someone’s health and safety is in danger. The whistleblowing policy outlines:

  • what whistleblowing is;
  • how whistleblowers are protected in law;
  • how to raise concerns; and
  • where to find more information on whistleblowing.

You can find out more about the policy from the HCPC’s website.