GPhC receives more than 9,500 fitness to practise concerns in a year

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) is now receiving more than 9,500 fitness to practise (FtP) concerns a year, chief executive Kathie Cashell told the Clinical Pharmacy Congress on May 8. She said this represents a 77% increase since 2023/24, although the “vast majority” of concerns are resolved or signposted at the earliest stage. Only around 6% progress to a full investigation, and very few reach a hearing before the fitness to practise committee. In the most recent quarter, just four registrants were removed from the register, all involving serious criminal matters.

Cashell acknowledged that fitness to practise investigations “have taken too long” and that delays have a “profound impact” on those involved. She said the regulator is “absolutely committed to improving the timeliness” of its processes and has an “ambitious improvement plan” underway. Measures already introduced include increased staffing, a restructured fitness to practise function, improved triage and hearing processes, and new acceptance criteria to filter concerns more effectively.

She also highlighted improvements to the GPhC’s inspection model, with a more targeted, risk‑based approach and streamlined reporting contributing to a more than 60% rise in inspection activity in 2025/26. Almost 2,000 inspections were completed during the year. The regulator has also committed to delivering at least £1.5m in budget savings over three years, with £700k already achieved.

Cashell stressed that “fairness and compassion” remain central to the GPhC’s approach. She said she does not want the regulator to be feared or viewed as a “pay and punish” organisation, and emphasised that registrants must feel confident they will be treated fairly, proportionately and with compassion. She added that the GPhC closely monitors outcomes across protected characteristics and that data shows “no significant disproportionality” in decision‑making at any stage. Regulation, she said, “is not about punishing honest mistakes, but about protecting the public where there is serious risk”.

Her comments follow the GPhC’s recent review of weight‑loss services, which set out targeted actions for improvement after finding that standards were not always consistently met, despite many pharmacies delivering services appropriately.

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