GMC reports rising doctor confidence in its regulation

Confidence among doctors in how the General Medical Council (GMC) regulates the medical profession is improving, according to the regulator’s newly published Corporate Strategy and Perceptions Tracking Survey 2025. The interim survey, conducted by independent consultancy Shift Insight and published on 10 March 2026, tracks how key groups view the GMC’s performance and progress against its 2021–25 corporate strategy.

Improving confidence among doctors

The survey shows a notable uplift in doctors’ confidence in the way the GMC regulates doctors. Locally Employed (LE) doctors reported the most positive perceptions, while doctors in training remained the least positive group.

Doctors were also asked for the first time about the GMC’s regulation of physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs). Confidence in this area was low, reflecting ongoing debate about the introduction of these roles into statutory regulation.

Public confidence steady, but appetite for clarity on PAs and AAs

Patients and the public continue to hold steady, broadly positive views of the GMC. However, the survey found only moderate recognition of PA and AA roles, with many respondents wanting clearer information about what regulation means for patient safety.

Fitness to practise remains a defining pressure point

Despite the overall improvement in confidence, the GMC acknowledges that its fitness to practise processes continue to shape perceptions—often negatively. Doctors remain concerned about the level of support they receive during investigations and the emotional and professional impact of the process.

The regulator says its communications and engagement teams are working to build trust in how fitness to practise concerns are managed, alongside ongoing efforts to ensure investigations are “fair, proportionate and considerate of the impact they can have on those being investigated.”

First-time insights from PAs and AAs

This is the first year the GMC has surveyed PAs and AAs directly. Most respondents reported positive impressions of the regulator, though a minority expressed concerns about the GMC’s response to online misinformation, negative commentary, and instances of mistreatment.

The findings have been shared across the GMC to inform ongoing work and future strategy. The next full perceptions survey will take place in 2026 and will expand to include medical students, PA students, responsible officers, education leaders, and national stakeholders.

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