Regulating doctors, ensuring good medical practice

GMC response to the NHS Constitution

GMC Statement

09 Mar 2012

Niall Dickson, the Chief Executive of the General Medical Council said:

‘We welcome the focus in the new NHS Constitution on the professional responsibility to raise concerns as the key to ensuring the highest standards of patient care. We also welcome the commitment to support healthcare professionals in raising concerns.

‘Being a good doctor involves more than simply being a good clinician. It means being committed to improving the quality of services and being willing to speak up when things are not right – that is not always easy but it is at the heart of medical professionalism.

‘We have recently sent guidance to all doctors on the medical register which makes clear that they have a duty to act if they believe patients are at risk, or when patients’ care or dignity is being compromised.'

Notes to Editors:

For further information please contact the Media Relations Office on 020 7189 5454, out of hours 020 7189 5444/ 07920 461497, email press@gmc-uk.org, website www.gmc-uk.org.

The General Medical Council registers and licenses doctors to practise medicine in the UK. Our purpose is summed up in the phrase: Regulating doctors, Ensuring Good Medical Practice.

The law gives us four main functions:

  • keeping up-to-date registers of qualified doctors
  • fostering good medical practice
  • promoting high standards of medical education and training
  • dealing firmly and fairly with doctors whose fitness to practise is in doubt