GMC Defence Barristers Blog | Doctor Legal Articles

New Guidance on Reflective Practice for Doctors and Medical Students

The GMC have recently published new guidance aimed at assisting the medical profession to become better reflective practitioners. It provides top tips on reflective practice and the reflective practice tool-kit provides helpful examples. The guidance also emphasises...

Doctors’ Mental Health Crisis

Is there a crisis in the mental health and wellbeing of our doctors? Recent reports about junior doctors in crisis coupled with Professor Appleby’s research on reducing stress for doctors undergoing a GMC investigation, highlights the problem of how best to assist...

Interim Orders

The GMC may refer a doctor for an interim orders hearing at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service [MPTS] at any stage in proceedings. The role of the Interim Orders Tribunal (IOT) is to consider whether the doctor’s registration should be restricted on an interim...

I have been referred to the General Medical Council.

What do I do? A referral to the General Medical Council (GMC) is an extremely worrying thing for any doctor. Understanding how it works is essential to identifying what will happen, when and what you should be doing. The first thing to know is that a referral to the...

Some Justice for Dr Bawa-Garba?

The case of Dr Bawa-Garba have been closely followed by doctors and the public alike. On 25 and 26 July 2018, the Court of Appeal considered Dr Bawa-Garba’s appeal against the High Court’s decision of erasure from the Medical Register. This appeal followed the GMC’s...

Joint Statement on Conflict of Interest

The GMC has recently issued a joint statement together with other regulators overseen by the Professional Standards Authority on handling conflicts of interest. The guidance sets expectations for doctors in relation to avoiding, declaring and managing actual or...

GMC Review of Revalidation

Sir Keith Pearson’s review of medical revalidation was published last month. The purpose of the review was an opportunity to reflect on, and take stock of the process of revalidation now that four years have passed since its introduction and most doctors have been...

New GMC Guidance on Confidentiality

“Confidentiality: good practice in handling patient information” New GMC guidance on confidentiality comes into effect on 25 April 2017. The last guidance was published in 2009. The general principles remain but the new guidance clarifies a number of issues such as...

Sexual Misconduct and Your Duty to Report Colleagues to the GMC

The GMC publication “Good Medical Practice” outlines a doctor’s duty to report a colleague if you have any concerns that they may not be fit to practise and may be putting patents at risk. The first step is to ask advice from a colleague or the GMC. If you are still concerned you must report your concerns and keep a record of the steps taken.

PLAB Test

The PLAB test is the main route by non UK medical graduates can demonstrate that they have the necessary skills and knowledge to practise medicine in the UK. There are a number of different routes to registration with a license to practise in the UK.

Increasing demands on the NHS as the winter crisis deepens

NHS winter crisis – The Chief Executive of the GMC; Charlie Massey yesterday released a statement detailing concerns expressed by doctors over the increasing demands on staff as the NHS winter crisis deepens. Doctors are reporting an unprecedented demand on services, and quite possibly the worst in over a decade.

Interim Orders Tribunal

An interim orders tribunal hearing looks at whether a doctor’s registration should be restricted while allegations about their conduct are resolved. The GMC refers cases to the MPTS when doctors are facing allegations where it may be necessary for the doctor’s registration to be restricted whilst the allegations are resolved.

GMC Complaints

The General Medical Council (GMC) are an independent organisation that helps to protect patients and improve medical education and practice across the UK. The GMC have the responsibility for registering doctors to practise in the UK. Their primary purpose is to protect the public.