Guidance for the Investigation Committee and case examiners when considering allegations about a doctor’s involvement in encouraging or assisting suicide
6 February 2012
The General Medical Council is consulting on our new draft guidance for the Investigation Committee and case examiners (decision-makers) to use when they are considering allegations about a doctor’s fitness to practise that relate to encouraging or assisting suicide.
This is an important and highly sensitive issue. We would like your help to get this guidance right. Please take part in our consultation and give us your views on the draft guidance.
The consultation is open to anyone who wishes to respond. We are particularly keen to hear from people who are affected by the issues it raises.
You can take part by completing an online questionnaire. Please respond by 4 May 2012.
This guidance is for our decision-makers to use when they are considering allegations about a doctor’s fitness to practise that relate to encouraging or assisting suicide. It has been written to ensure that our decision-makers examine, fairly and consistently, any allegation that we receive in this subject matter. We recognise that the guidance will also be helpful to doctors, patients and others if we set out clearly how we will consider complaints in this area.
Encouraging or assisting suicide remains a criminal offence and this guidance reflects the law on this subject.
The guidance sets out the:
- law on assisting suicide
- ethical principles which underpin all our guidance to doctors
- test that our decision-makers must apply when they consider such allegations
- types of cases and the factors that may be relevant to their consideration.
How to get involved
Read our:
There is a questionnaire at the back the guidance for you to complete.
You can also take part in the consultation on the GMC's public consultation site by completing the online questionnaire.
Welsh version
Download the Welsh version of Guidance for the Investigation Committee and case examiners when considering allegations about a doctor’s involvement in encouraging or assisting suicide. (218kb,pdf)
Contact us
Please call the Standards and Ethics Team on 020 7189 5404 (or text phone 18001 + 020 7189 5404) or email us at standards.consult@gmc-uk.org to:
- request paper copies of the draft guidance and the consultation questionnaire or copies in other languages or alternative formats such as large print
- request any other information on the consultation process.