The privileges and duties of doctors: UK statutes

All doctors who are registered with the GMC, including both those who are registered with a licence to practise and those who are registered without a licence to practise have a duty to comply with our guidance Good Medical Practice.

A doctor who is registered with a licence to practise is permitted to carry out certain activities and required to fulfil certain duties (often referred to as ‘privileges’). These include the right to prescribe prescription-only medicine or sign death certificates.

There is a summary and seven further documents below showing in more detail the privileges and duties divided into categories.

Please be aware that, in this context, the terms used to refer to a ‘doctor’ or ‘practitioner’, and in particular, the term ‘registered medical practitioner’, all refer to a doctor who is registered with a licence to practise with the GMC.

Download the document you want to read by clicking the link below:

• The Privileges and Duties of Registered Medical Practitioners - Summary
• Schedule 1 - Medical practice
• Schedule 2 - Writing medical certificates
• Schedule 3 - Appointments
• Schedule 4 - Assessing the suitability of individuals to perform certain activities
• Schedule 5 - Assisting public bodies and other persons
• Schedule 6 - Mental health
• Schedule 7 - Matters of discipline