We have published our annual performance review of the General Medical Council (GMC). During 2023/24, we conducted a periodic review of the GMC’s performance against the Standards of Good Regulation (the Standards).
For this period, covering 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2024, the GMC has met 18 out of 18 Standards. Our report explains how we made our decision and highlights key findings and areas for improvement.
From 13 December 2024, the GMC regulates Anaesthesia Associates (AAs) and Physician Associates (PAs), as well as doctors. We recognise that concerns have been raised about a range of issues connected to AAs and PAs, including about their regulation. It will be important for the GMC to continue to communicate clearly about how it has considered the concerns and any associated risks to public protection. We will be monitoring the GMC’s work to bring AAs and PAs into regulation, including how it develops and uses its new legal powers. The Department of Health and Social Care has commissioned an independent review of these roles, to agree recommendations for the future. It will consider the safety of the roles and their contribution to multidisciplinary healthcare teams. We will take note of any relevant outcomes from this review, as our oversight of the GMC expands to cover regulation of those roles.
This year, in order to meet Standard 3 (our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Standard), regulators must assure us they are delivering the four high-level outcomes supported by our new evidence matrix.
The GMC has performed strongly against all four outcomes and we have identified examples of good practice, including the GMC’s work to address identified areas of disproportionality. But the GMC still has some way to go in assuring stakeholders about the fairness of its processes, particularly in fitness to practise and we encourage it to continue to take action where it identifies evidence of disparities.
The GMC has continued to improve its timeliness for fitness to practise in this review period. Compared with last year, it has reached key decision points faster and has reduced the number of open old cases. The overall time for cases that go to a final hearing remains high and it will be important for the GMC to continue to improve in this area.
We reviewed a sample of closed fitness to practise cases. Unlike other regulators we oversee, the GMC does not require risk assessments to be separately documented. It was not always clear how and when risks had been considered. Though, we did not see any cases where we considered the GMC had failed to seek an interim order when one was needed, there is an opportunity for the GMC to improve the controls it has in place. It can do this by being clearer about how and when staff are identifying, considering and responding to evidence of risk in cases. We will closely monitor how it considers our feedback and any action it takes as a result.
In January 2024, a new version of Good Medical Practice (the GMC’s core standards for registrants) came into effect. This version now includes new duties for registrants, including on creating fair workplace cultures, preventing sexual harassment, and speaking up when misconduct is witnessed. We welcome the increased focus on patient-centred care and fair workplace cultures.
The judgements we make against each Standard incorporate a range of evidence to form an overall picture of performance. Meeting a Standard means that we are satisfied that a regulator is performing well in that area. It does not mean there is no room for improvement. Similarly, finding that a regulator has met all of the Standards does not mean perfection. Rather, it signifies good performance in the 18 areas we assess.
Our oversight does not stop when we publish our report. It is an ongoing, continuous process and, where we’ve identified areas for improvement, we will pay particular attention to these as we continue to monitor the GMC’s performance.
You can find out more about the GMC’s review in our Periodic Review or read a summary in our snapshot. You can find out more about how we review the regulators here.
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Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care
Contact: media@professionalstandards.org.uk
Notes to the Editor- The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care oversees 10 statutory bodies that regulate health and social care professionals in the UK.
- We assess their performance and report to the UK Parliament. We also conduct audits and investigations and can appeal fitness to practise cases to the courts if we consider that sanctions are insufficient to protect the public and it is in the public interest.
- We also set standards for organisations holding registers for health and social care occupations and accredit those that meet them and continue to meet them.
- We share good practice and knowledge, conduct research and introduce new ideas to our sector. We monitor policy developments in the UK and internationally and provide advice on issues relating to professional standards in health and social care.
- We do this to promote the health, safety and wellbeing of users of health and social care services and the public. We are an independent body, accountable to the UK Parliament.
- Our values are – integrity, transparency, respect, fairness and teamwork – and we strive to ensure that they are at the core of our work.
- More information about our work and the approach we take is available at www.professionalstandards.org.uk