Changing how the GMC decides on doctors’ fitness to practise

The General Medical Council (GMC) is responsible for regulating doctors and the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) oversees the regulation of all healthcare professionals, protecting the health and safety of the public by ensuring fitness to practise.

We are seeking views on proposed changes to the way each body carries out its regulatory functions, including:

• establishing the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service as a statutory committee of the GMC
• strengthening adjudication procedures
• confirming the objectives of the GMC and its fitness to practise functions
• amending the grounds on which the PSA can refer fitness to practise panel decisions to the higher courts and introducing a new right of appeal for the GMC

The Scottish government are also jointly consulting using this consultation paper for professions for whom responsibility is devolved in Scotland.