February 2008
A communication from the General Medical Council
February 2008, Issue 42
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Welcome to the February edition of the GMC e-bulletin
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GMC welcomes the Secretary of State for Health’s announcement to merge PMETB with the GMC
The Secretary of State for Health has announced that PMETB will be merged with the GMC. The decision follows a recommendation made by Professor Sir John Tooke in “Aspiring to Excellence: Final report of the Independent Inquiry into Modernising Medical Careers.”
President of the GMC, Sir Graeme Catto, welcomed the decision saying:
“We welcome the DH announcement to merge PMETB with the GMC as recommended by Sir John Tooke in his recent report. The merger will bring under one roof the regulation of all stages of medical education and will deliver real benefits for patients and the public, as well as for the medical profession.
We look forward to working closely with PMETB during the transitional period to ensure that the good work PMETB has begun will continue. PMETB has made a significant contribution to postgraduate medical education in the UK and we are agreed that the momentum will be maintained.
It is also important to ensure a continuity of service so that medical regulation continues to command the confidence and support of the four key interest groups – patients and the public, doctors, the NHS and other healthcare providers and the medical schools and medical Royal Colleges.”
Health & Social Care Bill sent to House of Lords
The Health and Social Care Bill has now completed its passage through the House of Commons and has been sent to the House of Lords for further consideration.
The GMC interests are mainly in Part 2 of the Bill which proposes a number of specific changes relating to the future of healthcare professional regulation, including the creation of an independent adjudicator – the Office of Health Professions Adjudicator (OHPA) – and the appointment of Responsible Officers who will consider issues relating to a doctor’s fitness to practise at a local level.
MPs considered the Bill in a number of stages between November 2007 and February 2008 and debated a number of issues of relevance to the GMC throughout this time. One particular focus in the Committee Stage was whether all GMC fitness to practise panels should have a legally-qualified chair. During the Report Stage debate, on Monday 18 February 2008, a number of government amendments to the Bill were passed providing for legally-qualified chairs of fitness to practise panels to be appointed by OHPA in specified circumstances, but not requiring a legally-qualified chair for all panels. The GMC supported the Government in this approach.
The first opportunity for Peers to debate the Bill will be at the Second Reading in the House of Lords. This stage is currently expected to take place during the week beginning 24 March 2008.
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