Regulating doctors, ensuring good medical practice

About this guidance

  1. 1.  All doctors have a duty to act when they believe patients’ safety is at risk, or that patients’ care or dignity is being compromised.
  2. 2.  Good Medical Practice says that the safety of patients must come first at all times. If you believe that patient safety is or may be seriously compromised by inadequate premises, equipment, or other resources, policies or systems, you should put the matter right if that is possible. In all other cases you should raise your concern with the organisation you have a contract with or which employs you. You must also protect patients from risk of harm posed by another colleague’s conduct, performance or health by taking appropriate steps immediately so that the concerns are investigated and patients are protected where necessary.
  3. 3. This guidance sets out our expectation that all doctors will, whatever their role, take appropriate action to raise and act on concerns about patient care, dignity and safety. It provides guidance on how to put the advice in Good Medical Practice into practice. It is separated into two parts.
  • Part 1: Raising a concern gives advice on raising a concern that patients might be at risk of serious harm, and on the help and support available to you.
  • Part 2: Acting on a concern explains your responsibilities when colleagues or others raise concerns with you and how those concerns should be handled.  

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