GMC strategy signals shift toward faster, fairer fitness to practise system

The General Medical Council’s new corporate strategy sets out a renewed commitment to overhauling fitness to practise, promising a system that is faster, fairer and less adversarial for doctors.

Published this week, the strategy frames reform of fitness to practise as central to the regulator’s goal of delivering “better, fairer regulation”. Although the document covers a wide range of organisational priorities, several elements directly address longstanding concerns about the impact of fitness to practise processes on doctors’ wellbeing and professional lives.

Emphasis on proportionality and early resolution

The GMC says it will continue to modernise its regulatory approach, with a stronger focus on resolving concerns locally where appropriate. The strategy reinforces the shift away from formal investigations in cases that do not raise questions about a doctor’s ability to practise safely.

This direction aligns with recent operational changes designed to reduce the number of low‑level concerns entering the fitness to practise system and to ensure that regulatory action is proportionate to risk.

Commitment to faster, more efficient processes

Delays in fitness to practise investigations have been a persistent source of stress for doctors. The strategy acknowledges this and commits the GMC to improving the speed and efficiency of its processes. The regulator says it will invest in systems and internal capability to reduce waiting times and improve the overall experience for those involved.

Lesley Maslen, Executive Director of Professional Regulation, said the progress reflects sustained effort across fitness to practise teams and should translate into a better experience for those involved in cases.

She said:

“Our teams across Fitness to Practise have been working very hard, so it’s great to see that our key timeliness metric has continued to improve. Importantly, that means more people who are involved in fitness to practise seeing their case progressing or resolving sooner.

“Maintaining a high performance in our decision-making is vital for people to experience a faster and fairer process. We are making a positive difference, but we know this isn’t the reality for everyone. That’s why we will sharpen our work at the Investigation and Adjudication stages while continuing to deliver a more compassionate and effective service.”

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