GMC puts fitness to practise under the spotlight in Cardiff speech

The General Medical Council has set out a renewed focus on trust, fairness and transparency in fitness to practise processes, with Chief Executive Charlie Massey using a keynote speech in Cardiff to address persistent concerns among doctors about how investigations are handled.

Massey acknowledged the intense pressures facing general practitioners, noting that GPs report higher workload strain than any other medical group, with more than six in ten saying they struggle to provide sufficient patient care at least once a week. He warned that this gap between professional standards and daily realities can be “deeply demoralising” — and that fears about complaints or regulatory action often amplify that strain.

Survey data from 2025 showed only 27% of GPs felt the GMC would handle concerns fairly and take context into account, a perception Massey said must be addressed to prevent defensive practice and ensure doctors feel supported rather than scrutinised.

The speech, delivered at Pulse Live in Cardiff, forms part of the GMC’s wider effort to build confidence in fitness to practise procedures, dispel myths about how investigations work, and highlight steps taken to improve fairness. It sits alongside other recent regulatory updates published in the GMC’s news archive, including commentary on GP workload pressures and ongoing reforms to healthcare regulation.