Niall Dickson speaks at BAPIO conference

Revalidation is already having a positive impact, with employers putting in better systems of clinical governance, covering all doctors including those in specialty posts. This was the message from Niall Dickson to delegates on the second day of the BAPIO Conference on 4 November.

“ For every doctor, with revalidation coming, the GMC is no longer just interested in when and where you qualified at the point that you join the register, we are seeking constant assurance that you are competent, self reflective and fit to practice, and that there is a system to support you in achieving that.”

The GMC Chief Executive said that with the advent of revalidation, the UK will have more comprehensive assurance about its doctors than anywhere else in the world. “GMC registration will not mean I qualified as a doctor 20 years ago, it will mean that I am part of a system which provides assurance that I am fit to practise.”

• Niall also spoke about the work that the GMC is doing to understand the exponential increase in the number of complaints that it receives. In 2011, the regulator received nearly 9,000 complaints. He noted the following trends:
• Overall BME doctors are no more likely to be referred to the GMC than other doctors, although they are overrepresented in official referrals from persons acting in a public capacity, which includes the NHS, police, coroners and so on.
• Doctors with an overseas primary medical qualification are more likely to be referred to the GMC, regardless of their ethnic background.
  UK BME graduates are no more likely to be referred than other doctors, or to have more serious outcomes than their counterparts.

The GMC is also aware that some doctors find it difficult to raise concerns. Niall said that a number of steps are being taken to address this issue, including the launch of a new confidential helpline later this year. Other reforms in the pipeline include the review of the PLAB test by an independently led working group to ensure that it remains fit for purpose and robust, and the review of the alternative routes to the specialist register.