GMC’s Anthony Omo to advise NMC’s fitness to practise team on short-term secondment

Anthony Omo, General Counsel and Director of Fitness to Practise at the General Medical Council (GMC) is joining the NMC on a three-month secondment.

Following the independent culture review, the NMC said it was “committed to identifying external expertise to provide insight, support and advice on our fitness to practise (FtP) plan.”

The GMC has met the Professional Standards Authority’s Standards of Good Regulation for FtP every year since they were introduced in 2012. As a seconded executive adviser from 28 October, Anthony will work in partnership with Lesley Maslen, our Executive Director of Professional Regulation, and the wider NMC team.

A priority for the NMC’s FtP plan – also highlighted in the independent culture review – is to improve people’s experience of our processes. Timeliness of case progression is central to this.

The NMC said:

“Thanks to colleagues’ hard work, we’re already seeing progress, including a significant reduction in the number of cases waiting to progress at screening. Anthony’s advisory support, especially focussed on this initial stage of the FtP process, will help us to improve further.

“While the primary goal is for Anthony to bolster our efforts to reduce the NMC’s caseload, we hope it is an opportunity to share good practice between both organisations, with learning flowing back to the GMC too.”

Anthony Omo said:

“I am looking forward to working with colleagues at the NMC over the next few months and believe that collaboration and knowledge sharing across regulators can drive positive change. I know that Lesley and the team are committed to improving fitness to practise processes and tackling challenges around caseload. I am very pleased to support them with their important work.”

Lesley Maslen said:

“Almost six months into our fitness to practise plan, we’re seeing some positive early signs that the changes we’re making are starting to work. But there’s a long way to go before we make a sustainable step change in overall timeliness of case progression, and in people’s experience of our processes. We believe that expert external advice is key to achieving this, and that’s why we’re pleased to welcome Anthony in a short-term advisory capacity.

“We’re grateful to the GMC for their support, which we hope will hasten our progress for the benefit of everyone impacted by our regulatory work – whether that’s our colleagues progressing difficult casework, the nursing and midwifery professionals living under the cloud of a referral, or members of the public seeking resolution to their concerns about care.”

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