Do you have a view on how the GMC handles cases involving concerns about doctors?

We’ve just launched a major consultation looking at how we can conclude some cases more quickly while still maintaining fairness to doctors and patients.

We are asking for your views on proposals which recommend that doctors could accept sanctions, including suspension and erasure, without their cases going to a hearing. For those doctors who do not accept the sanction proposed by the GMC, or where there is a significant dispute about the facts, cases would still be referred for a hearing.

Our role is to protect patients by making sure that only doctors who are fit to practise are allowed to do so. It is not our role to punish doctors or even to provide redress to patients – there are other ways to achieve that. The proposed reforms are designed to focus our work more clearly on patient safety and recognise that sending most cases to a public hearing is not the most proportionate or effective way of protecting patients.

Our commitment to protecting patients is the driving force behind the proposals, but where possible, it would avoid subjecting doctors and patients to long, stressful and sometimes harrowing public hearings. Crucially, it would also be transparent - even when a case is not referred for a hearing, the outcome, including the nature of the concerns and any sanctions would still be published on the GMC website.



The consultation also proposes a more speedy process for dealing with doctors convicted of serious crimes, such as murder and rape - we argue that those who have committed such crimes are not fit to be doctors.



We will be consulting separately on proposals to ensure the independence of the panels who conduct fitness to practise hearings later this year.



Want to find out more and have your say?



• You can visit https://gmc.e-consultation.net/econsult. You will have to register with our consultation system, Community People, to complete the consultation this way.



• You can send your response by email to ftpconsultation@gmc-uk.org



• You can download our consultation response form (in either pdf or word format) from our website www.gmc-uk.org/ftpreformconsultation and return your comments by post to:



Claire Kilner

Policy & Planning Manager – Fitness to Practise

General Medical Council, 350 Euston Road, London NW1 3JN



Please remember to respond by 11 April 2011.