GMC meets all the PSA Standards of Good Regulation

The Professional Standards Authority has published its annual performance review of the General Medical Council (GMC).

The PSA said:

“We conducted a targeted review of the GMC’s performance and concluded that it has met all of the 18 Standards of Good Regulation. The judgements we make against each Standard incorporate a range of evidence to form an overall picture of performance.

“We considered detailed information from the GMC about its work to promote fairness, including the targets it has set to eliminate disadvantages experienced by some groups of doctors in relation to training and fitness to practise referrals. We also asked the GMC how it ensures its own processes are fair. It told us about the work it is doing in this area, including acting in response to an employment tribunal last year which found that the GMC has discriminated against a doctor on the grounds of race. We agree that it is appropriate for the GMC to seek to learn from the tribunal decision, notwithstanding its appeal against the verdict. This is a very important area of work which rightly receives a lot of attention and concern. We will continue to monitor the GMC’s work in both these areas closely.”

Charlie Massey, GMC Chief Executive said:

‘Being recognised for upholding our high standards of regulation, when medical professionals continue to be under immense pressure, is crucial to promoting patient safety and supporting those hard-working professionals.

‘We are committed to eliminating the discrimination experienced by some ethnic minority doctors which is why we have set ourselves some ambitious targets for tackling disproportionality in both medical education and fitness to practise referrals. We cannot solve these problems alone though, and our success will very much depend on our ability to work with and influence the behaviour of our external stakeholders. I am certain we all share a common ground on these issues, and it is my hope that by working together we can eradicate these issues by our target dates.

‘Supporting the recovery in the NHS, as we emerge from this pandemic, remains a priority for us and we will continue to work with other healthcare bodies to identify opportunities which will help meet the demands of modern patient care.’

The PSA for Health and Social Care oversees statutory bodies like the GMC who regulate health and social care professionals in the UK. It assesses performance, conducts audits, scrutinises decisions and reports to Parliament. It also sets standards for organisations holding voluntary registers for health and social care occupations and accredits those that meet them. Read the full PSA Standards of Good Regulation performance review.