Response to Liberating the NHS: Developing the Healthcare Workforce

The GMC has responded to the Department of Health's consultation which sets out a new framework for developing the healthcare workforce.

The GMC, which is responsible for setting standards for every stage of medical education, has responded to proposals by the Department of Health (England) in their consultation on Liberating the NHS: Developing the Healthcare Workforce.

The GMC welcomed the consultation and the proposed new duty on all NHS organisations to provide high quality training but stressed that there must be sufficient safeguards in the new arrangements to make sure employers are held to account for education quality, and meeting the standards set by the professional regulators, and that shorter-term, service driven considerations do not dwarf longer-term strategic priorities. This should include an education champion at local level alongside a clear employer voice.

The Council also emphasised the pivotal role of the professional regulator in ensuring high standards of medical education and training, and for there to be a clear line of accountability to the GMC from the new local skills networks.

Read the GMC's response to DH(E) Liberating the NHS: Developing the Healthcare Workforce (75kb, pdf).

For other GMC consultation responses see Consultations.