Regulating doctors, ensuring good medical practice

GMC Statement following publication of 'Safety First: Mobility of Healthcare Professionals in the EU'

GMC Statement

19 Oct 2011

Welcoming the publication of the report 'Safety First: Mobility of Healthcare Professionals in the EU' , the Chief Executive of the General Medical Council, Niall Dickson, said:

The Committee is right; the safety of patients should always come first. Like us, they believe that current EU rules are putting patients at risk and urgent changes are needed.

Niall Dickson, the Chief Executive of the GMC

‘The Committee is right; the safety of patients should always come first. Like us, they believe that current EU rules are putting patients at risk and urgent changes are needed. In our evidence to the inquiry, we set out the reforms needed to protect patients, which the Committee have strongly supported.

'These include introducing a legal duty on regulators to share fitness to practise information about doctors and more powers for the GMC to assess the language and clinical skills of all doctors at the point they enter the UK.

'The Committee also supports our view that the case for a European professional card has not been made and that it could become a costly and unnecessary measure. 

‘We are continuing to work with our partners in the UK and across Europe on the review of the directive to secure the changes we need to protect patients.’