Regulating doctors, ensuring good medical practice

GMC statement on National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death

GMC Statement

01 Jun 2012

Commenting on the NCEPOD report on resuscitation, Niall Dickson, Chief Executive of the General Medical Council, said:

‘Our guidance for doctors is clear. Where a patient is at risk of death, a decision about whether or not to attempt CPR should be taken at an early opportunity. For relatives, it is traumatic and upsetting if a decision not to attempt CPR has not been discussed or explained.

‘It is concerning that some hospitals appear to be struggling to manage CPR decisions effectively. Senior doctors in these hospitals have a responsibility to ensure that their organisations can deliver a good standard of care.

'In the light of this evidence, it appears that more needs to be done. In particular, the responsibility for making and communicating these difficult and complex decisions should not rest wholly on the shoulders of junior doctors or nurses. If consultants are not involved in assessing or reviewing whether CPR should be attempted on a patient, this places an unfair burden on doctors in training and deprives them of the important opportunity to learn from those who are more experienced.’

Notes to Editors:

For more information read the GMC's guidance on End of Life Care.

The section on 'Cardiopulmonary resuscitation' can be read here.

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.

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