GMC Northern Ireland - Latest news

GMC attend Alliance Party Conference

Staff from the GMC Northern Ireland office attended the Alliance Party Conference on Saturday 20 September. The GMC stand was visited by the party leader Mr David Ford MLA and the party health spokesperson Mr Kieran McCarthy MLA, both spent over 10 minutes discussing Northern Ireland health issues and the introduction of revalidation. A wide range of other delegates visited the GMC stand including MLAs, local councillors and a number of doctors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Understanding GMC Fitness to Practise Procedures Event in Belfast

The GMC Northern Ireland Office in conjunction with FTP Directorate hosted a seminar on 12th June for health service staff, involved in the day to day handling of complaints. Twenty-two (22) delegates from 16 organisations took part in the Belfast seminar.

The seminar provided an important opportunity for the GMC to engage with employers and patient organisations dealing with complaints about doctors and other healthcare professionals. The main aim, to increase understanding of the GMC’s Fitness to Practise Procedures, was achieved through the range of presentations and interaction that took place. It also offered delegates an opportunity to engage with senior GMC Fitness to Practise staff.

The seminar started with an introduction to the GMC and the work of the Northern Ireland office from Alan Walker.  This was followed by a session by Linda Summers on GMC Fitness to Practise Investigations. Liam Conlon’s presentation focused on the Health and Performance Assessments carried out by the GMC. After lunch the seminar resumed with an interactive session by Blake Dobson looking at the types of restrictions that could be placed on a doctor’s practise. The seminar was rounded off by Anna Rowland looking at the implications of the Government’s White Paper, ‘Trust, Assurance and Safety’ for the future of medical regulation.  

Dr John Jenkins, GMC Council member, closed the day’s proceedings by thanking all involved. Dr Jenkins offered a special note of thanks to the delegates for their interest in the work of the GMC.

Feedback from the event has been very positive. Those attending found it very helpful and one attendee went as far as to say it was ‘…one of the best seminars I have attended.’

 

Doctors in Northern Ireland get new guidance to help their patients make decisions

The General Medical Council’s Northern Ireland office hosted an event at the Park Avenue Hotel on Tuesday 3rd June to launch our new guidance, Consent: Patients and doctors making decisions together.

The event was attended by over 50 representatives from the health care sector in Northern Ireland, including the Alzheimer’s Society, Age Concern Northern Ireland and the Long Term Conditions Alliance.

Speaking at the event Dr John Jenkins, Chair of the GMC’s Standards and Ethics Committee, said:

“We hope that this new guidance will prompt doctors to think about their approach to discussions with patients. This guidance was developed using a unique consultation process, incorporating workshops supported locally by the Alzheimer’s Society and Age Concern. These events provided an informal opportunity for doctors, patients and their carers to discuss their views and concerns together.”

Copies of the new guidance can be downloaded at www.gmc-uk.org or by contacting the GMC Northern Ireland Office on 028 9050 9051 7022.

 

 

 

GMC attends launch of ‘My Life, My Right, My Choice’ campaign by the Centre on Human Rights for Disabled People

04 December 2007

Staff from the GMC Northern Ireland office attended the launch of the ‘My Life, My Right, My Choice’ campaign by the Centre on Human Rights for Disabled People in Malone House on Tuesday 4th December 2007.

As part of this campaign the Centre on Human Rights for Disabled People has designed a toolkit to raise awareness of a disability and human rights-based approach to health and social care. It aims to ensure disabled people have more choice and control over the treatment and care they receive at hospitals, GP surgeries and in the community.

The launch event was well attended by disabled people, carers, the health and social care profession, health and social care providers and regulators, disability and voluntary organisations and representatives from the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety. 

The toolkit is currently being rolled out across Northern Ireland, and in the New Year, an associated training pack for health and social care providers will be developed. 

 

GMC takes a stand during party conference season

Throughout October and November staff from the GMC Northern Ireland office had an opportunity to meet with Ministers, Special Advisors, Members of the Health Committee and other elected representatives across Northern Ireland at annual party conferences.

The GMC information stand at the Ulster Unionist, SDLP and Alliance party conferences proved a popular focal point. There was a high level of interaction with a range of elected representatives and wide spread interest in the work of the GMC at each conference.

SDLP Party leader Mark Durkan MP MLA and the Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety Michael McGimpsey MLA both spent time at the stand and welcomed the GMC’s continued commitment to engage in Northern Ireland.

 

New GMC Guidance will benefit 450,000 young people in Northern Ireland

27 September 2007

The General Medical Council (GMC) has launched new guidance outlining doctors’ roles and responsibilities towards the 450,000 children and young people in Northern Ireland. This is the first time that doctors’ specific duties in this area have been defined by the GMC the regulator for over 6,000 doctors locally and 240,000 across the UK.

0-18 years: guidance for all doctors applies to all doctors not just those who routinely see children and covers a wide range of issues including: confidentiality; assessing a young person’s ability to make decisions about their treatment; child protection; sexual activity and contraception; access to medical records, and research involving children. It will help doctors make decisions that are ethical, lawful and in the best interests of children and young people. 

Commenting on the guidance, Barney McNeaney, Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Commission for Children and Young People said:

“NICCY welcomes the General Medical Council’s Guidance for doctors. We hope this will mean better and more responsive services for all children and young people. Children and young people tell NICCY that too often they are not properly listened to by professionals. They have the right to have their voices heard; to be listened to and to have their views taken seriously by those whose job it is to look after them. The GMC has taken an important step in producing this guidance; building on all of the good work that we know takes place every day between many doctors and their young patients; and seeking to improve practice where their voices are not heard at all”.

The publication follows a three-month consultation with over 350 responses received from under 18s and nearly 600 from individual doctors, parents, organisations and the public. The cover of the new booklet also has a strong Northern Ireland theme having been designed by 13-year-old Paul McAleenan from Banbridge, who won the GMC’s UK-wide poster competition.  Paul also produced the cover design which will promote the guidance to all 240,000 doctors in the UK.

 

GMC holds historic meeting in Northern Ireland

19 September 2007

President of the GMC, Sir Graeme Catto, hosted a celebratory dinner in Queen’s University Belfast on Tuesday 18 September to mark the first Council meeting in Northern Ireland its149 year history.
 
The drinks reception and dinner was attended by a wide range of key partnership organisations across Northern Ireland, including patient advocacy groups, voluntary organisations, the Department of Health, health professionals, healthcare regulators, the Northern Ireland Ombudsman and the Northern Ireland Commission for Human Rights.

Guest dinner speakers included the Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety Michael McGimpsey and the newly appointed Dean of Queen’s University Belfast School of Medicine and Dentistry, Professor Patrick Johnston. They welcomed the GMC to Northern Ireland for its first meeting and said they looked forward to working with us in the future.

Professor Sir Graeme Catto, GMC President said:

“It gives me real pleasure to bring our governing Council to meet in Northern Ireland for the first time. Meeting here means that members of the public can come along and see exactly what we do and how the Council make decisions. Our office here has only been open a year and a half and it has already started building strong relationships with the local health community - helping us ensure the effective regulation of Northern Ireland’s 6,000 plus doctors.”

Michael McGimpsey, Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety said:

“I would like to extend a warm welcome to the General Medical Council on its first ever meeting in Northern Ireland. The GMC has made significant moves in recent years to reflect the devolved arrangements within the UK. In the year since the formal opening of your local office, the interaction and engagement with the GMC locally has been mutually beneficial and I fully expect this to continue and develop further.”

Feedback from guests has been very positive with many welcoming the opportunity to engage with the GMC and our commitment to Northern Ireland in establishing a local office.

The Council meeting took place in public the following day at the Culloden Hotel, Belfast. Among the issues discussed was how to take forward proposed changes to the GMC’s function outlined in the recent government White Paper on the future of healthcare regulation. 

The events received wide coverage in Northern Ireland on the radio, television and in the press.

 

Sign language award ceremony for Northern Ireland medical students

12 September 2007

Venue: RNID, Wilton House, 5 College Square North, Belfast.

The GMC Northern Ireland office attended a presentation ceremony for 37 medical students from Queen’s University Belfast who successfully completed a Specialist Module on Deaf Communication and Awareness – the only course of its kind in the UK.

Research carried out by the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID) in 2004 found over a third of deaf and hard of hearing patients had been left unclear about their condition because of communication problems with their GP. This course, established by RNID NI and Queen’s University Belfast in 2003, aims to help future doctors communicate more effectively with patients who have a hearing loss.

To date, 120 future medics have studied NVQ Level 1 in British Sign Language, received deaf awareness training, and created a sign language dictionary for health professionals, covering areas such as thyroid disease, headaches, pregnancy and other common ailments. 

The course is proving to be the most popular second year course among medical students with more applicants than places each year. Queen’s University is aiming to make a similar course available in third year to medical students and the School of Nursing and Midwifery is also looking at providing a similar module as part of its nursing degree.

At the event Director of RNID NI, Brian Symington said: “We are campaigning for equality in healthcare provision for thousands of deaf and hard of hearing people. Having doctors who are able to communicate effectively with their deaf and hard of hearing patients is a major step forward in making healthcare services in Northern Ireland accessible.”

The students were each congratulated and presented with their certificates by Minister for Culture Arts and Leisure Edwin Poots MLA.

 

GMC consultation on consent guidance proves a real talking point in Northern Ireland

29 June 2007

The GMC Northern Ireland office hosted a consultation seminar on new draft consent guidance in Malone House on 29th June 2007.

The seminar proved a real talking shop with a wide spectrum of viewpoints heard. Over 30 thirty individuals attended representing various patient groups, disabled people, carers, health and social care professionals and the Jehovah Witness community. The Department of Health, NI Ombudsman’s Office and Law Centre were also represented.

The organisations and individuals engaged well with GMC staff and Council Members, Dr John Jenkins and Dr Joan Martin. They welcomed much of the draft guidance and made a number of helpful suggestions for consideration in the final version. Feedback from the event has been very positive.

 

General Medical Council makes a ‘drama’ out of a consultation on new consent guidance to doctors

6 June 2007

The General Medical Council (GMC) took a new approach to consulting with patients, carers and doctors in Northern Ireland, using drama for the first time as part of its consultation on its latest guidance for doctors.

The event held on 6 June at the Baby Grand in Belfast, involved patients with dementia, carers and doctors discussing and acting out a drama reconstruction on how doctors should help patients make decisions about their medical treatment. The acted scenario involved a person whose capacity to make decisions is fluctuating as a result of early-stage dementia in a range of medical situations - from a GP appointment to being treated in hospital following an emergency admission.

Alan Walker, Head of Northern Ireland Affairs at the GMC, said:

“Working with the Alzheimer’s Society and Age Concern, this event enabled us give those patients and carers involved a chance to make their voice heard, and make it count. The level of involvement and discussion on the day showed that this was a very useful way of engaging directly with those involved in these situations whether from the doctor’s perspective or the patient/carer perspective. It will be very helpful to us as we seek to finalise our guidance, Consent: patients and doctors making decisions together”.

The drama workshop is part of a wider consultation process which runs until 20 August 2007, which will include a local consultation roundtable event on 29 June in Malone House. You can read the draft guidance and take part in the consultation on-line at:  https://gmc.e-consultation.net/making_decisions.

 

 

GMC President officially opens Clinical Skills Education Centre at Queen’s University Belfast

5 June 2007

GMC President, Sir Graeme Catto, visited Northern Ireland on Tuesday 5 June to officially open the Queen’s University Belfast Medical School’s new Clinical Skills Education Centre. On opening the centre, Sir Graeme congratulated all those involved in bringing about the state-of–the-art medical teaching facility which will help to deliver a compelling learning experience to tomorrow’s doctors and health care professionals.

 

GMC Northern Ireland holds lively Fitness to Practise consultation workshop

23 May 2007

The GMC Northern Ireland office hosted a lively and informative consultation workshop on Consensual Disposal and Guidance to the Fitness to Practise rules 2004 on Wednesday 23 May.

The workshop was chaired by Dr Joan Martin Lay Council Member for Northern Ireland and delegates included representatives from the health, social care and legal profession, the Department of Health, the Health and Social Services Boards, the Health and Social Care Trusts, the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority, other healthcare regulators and the NI Ombudsman’s Office and NI Human Rights Commission.

The discussion was lively and a number of constructive and mutually helpful suggestions were made by delegates and GMC staff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NI Schoolboy wins GMC Poster Competition

16 April 2007

Paul McAleenan, from Banbridge in Northern Ireland successfully competed against over 500 entries from across the UK to win the GMC’s Children’s Guidance poster competition. 

The competition was to highlight the GMC consultation on new Children’s Guidance and encourage the participation of children and young people directly in the consultation process. The consultation ended in March and received over 600 responses, with more than 350 from under 18s.

Dr John Jenkins, GMC Council Member in Northern Ireland and Senior Lecturer in Child Health at Queen's University Belfast said:

"Paul’s design is superb. It chimes with what we’ve been hearing from the young people who’ve let us know what they want from their doctor - that young people are individuals with independent voices that need to be listened to and have rights that should be respected. Under 18s make up over a fifth of the UK’s population and have different needs and concerns to those of adults. This is the first time the GMC has set standards for doctors specifically about children and young people.”

Paul was presented with his prize, an iPod Nano, from Helen Flanagan (Rosie Webster in Coronation Street) at the Coronation Street set in Manchester.

Speaking afterwards Paul said: “I’m really pleased to win the competition and the iPod. I worked hard on my drawing to try to show how I think doctors should treat young people and I hope it will remind the 6,200 doctors in Northern Ireland that we are individuals too!”

The story has also been widely covered in the Northern Ireland press.

 

 

 

GMC helps patients in Northern Ireland who have concerns about their doctor

16 February 2007

The regulator for Northern Ireland's 6,200 doctors has today launched a new leaflet for patients explaining what to do if they are unhappy with their doctor's medical practice. The General Medical Council (GMC) has produced the leaflet as part of an ongoing campaign to improve patients' access to information about its procedures and its publication comes shortly after the launch of the GMC's new duties for doctors in October 2006. The booklet offers patients advice about what to do if they think their doctor is not fit to practise or may be a risk to patients. It includes a number to call if patients want to discuss their concerns or are not sure whether to report a doctor. It explains: The importance of local procedures in helping patients getting complaints resolved How and when to make a complaint to the GMC and the process the complaint will go through once received. There are currently just over 6,200 doctors whose registered address is in Northern Ireland. In 2006 the GMC received 62 complaints about some of these doctors. Four doctors appeared before fitness to practice panels.

Above: Richard Dixon, Dr Joan Martin and Alan Walker at the launch of the new complaints leaflets.

Dr Joan Martin, GMC Council Member for Northern Ireland says:

“Having issued the new Good Medical Practice in October outlining doctors' duties, it is important that the public is aware of the support open to them if doctors seriously or persistently fail to meet those duties.” 

“This leaflet is part of the GMC's ongoing programme of work to make it easier for patients to complain. In 2007 we are hoping to launch an online complaints facility for patients alongside a DVD to help them understand our procedures once they've logged their complaint”.

The GMC are just one of a number of organisations in Northern Ireland responsible for looking after patients' concerns. The four independent Health and Social Services Councils represent the views of the public in all areas of health and social services and can help patients to make a complaint about their doctor. The Northern Ireland Ombudsman can also investigate complaints.

Richard Dixon Chief Officer of the Eastern Health and Social Services Council, one of the four says:

“We welcome the publication of this leaflet by the GMC. This is a further positive step in increasing public and patient awareness about what they can and should expect of their doctors and how to complain about poorly performing doctors. It also highlights the role that the Health and Social Services Council can play in supporting patients.”

The GMC will be sending the new leaflet out to all Health and Social Services Councils in Northern Ireland in addition to Citizens Advice Bureaux and Independent Advice Centres. Copies are available from the GMC Northern Ireland office on 028 9051 7022 or can be viewed by clicking here.

 

GMC Northern Ireland hold successful roundtable consultation event on draft Children's Guidance.

12 February 2007

The GMC office in Northern Ireland hosted a consultation seminar with Northern Ireland stakeholders and interested parties on new draft Children's Guidance in Belfast on Monday 12 th February.

The event was opened by the new Children's Commissioner, Patricia Lewsely and was chaired by Northern Ireland Council Member Dr John Jenkins. Over thirty people attended the event. Children and young people, disability and hospice care groups, health and social services and the medical profession, were all represented. Participants also included political and religious representatives.

The emergence of this draft guidance for children and young people was welcomed by all, in particular the Children's Commissioner for Northern Ireland who applauded the GMC's vision in recognising children and young people as a separate group deserving specific attention and protection. The discussion was lively and a number of valuable suggestions were made to members of our Standards Team by participants on a range of issues contained in the draft guidance.

Above: NI Children’s Commissioner Patricia Lewsley with Dr John Jenkins and GMC Policy Advisor Michael Keegan.

Above: Delegates at the event.

 

Coronation Street star launches poster competition in Northern Ireland to design cover of new Children's Guidance for doctors

15 January 2007

Helen Flanagan, Coronation Street's Rosie Webster, today launched a poster competition aimed at encouraging children and young people in Northern Ireland to participate in a consultation into the General Medical Council's Children's Guidance. The GMC, in partnership with Teenage Cancer Trust and Rainbow Trust Children's Charity are running the competition to find a young designer who can produce a poster, which may subsequently become the cover of the important new guidance booklet issued to over 230,000 doctors across the UK in the summer of 2007. With around 400,000 young people across NI and over 1 million appointments between young people and doctors last year, the GMC believes this issue is of huge importance to Northern Ireland. That is why it is sending out posters highlighting the competition and consultation to over 2000 schools, youth organisations and stakeholder organisations across Northern Ireland. The competition is part of a three-month consultation being run by the GMC to find out what young people think of doctors and how they could do better. The winner from Northern Ireland will receive an iPod nano and will compete against winning designers from England, Scotland and Wales, one of whom will be judged the overall UK winner in April. The GMC encourages everyone under the age of 18 to get involved. To respond to the consultation and enter the iPod competitions go to www.gmc-uk.org/children. The closing date for consultation and the poster competition is 2nd March 2007.

Above: Helen Flanagan launches the poster competition.

New Northern Ireland Affairs Executive in GMC Northern Ireland Office

18 November 2006

Nichola Mallon has joined the GMC as Northern Ireland Affairs Executive based in our Northern Ireland Office.

Speaking about her new appointment Nichola said:

"I am delighted to join the GMC at such an interesting time for medical regulation. Working with Alan Walker, the Head of Northern Ireland Affairs, the Belfast office provides an opportunity to raise the profile of the work of the GMC locally as well as ensuring that the Northern Ireland voice is taken into account early in consultations and in the development of new policy.

"I have only been with the GMC a few weeks but I am enjoying my work, particularly working with the standards and press office teams on our consultation on the draft Children's Guidance. Colleagues in London and Manchester, and in the devolved countries have been so helpful and friendly despite my never-ending onslaught of questions. So that can only be a good sign!”

Nichola graduated from Trinity College Dublin with a degree in politics before completing a Masters in Comparative Ethnic Conflict at Queen's University Belfast.

Before joining GMC, Nichola worked as a Communications Officer for a Member of the Legislative Assembly in Northern Ireland. Her responsibilities also included policy and research work.

 

GMC consults on new guidance for doctors

15 November 2006

The General Medical Council (GMC) has today launched a three-month UK wide consultation on its draft Children's Guidance. This is a new piece of guidance and also a new approach for the GMC, in that it addresses a group of patients rather than a discrete issue .

The 2006 edition of our core guidance, Good Medical Practice, contains new duties on doctors to safeguard and protect the health and well-being of children and young people. This new draft guidance expands upon those duties. It is for all doctors and not just those who routinely see children and young people as patients. It is also intended to be of use to children, young people and those with an interest in their welfare.

The views of children and young people are key to developing the guidance so that when it is issued to all UK doctors in 2007, their concerns and expectations are properly reflected. Over 2000 groups and individuals representing the interests and views of children and young people, parents and families, patients and the profession will be contacted asking for their feedback on the draft.

The GMC has launched two consultations on the draft guidance. Adults can respond on-line at http://www.gmc-uk.org/children. Children and young people are being given the opportunity to respond with a dedicated webpage at https://gmc.e-consultation.net/yourdoctor. To say thank you, the GMC will be giving away iPod nanos to two winners under 18 who answer all the questions. Both consultations are open until 23 February to 2 March 2007.

Following the consultation, the draft guidance will be reviewed with the final version expected to be published in summer 2007.

 

Northern Ireland Office launch and unveiling of Good Medical Practice poster campaign in Northern Ireland

30 October 2006

The Northern Ireland launch of Good Medical Practice on 30 October was at Parliament Buildings, Stormont and marking the official opening the GMC Northern Ireland office. Ninety guests attended, covering the public and patients, the profession, the health service and the medical school and Royal colleges.

Local politician and GP, Dr Alasdair McDonnell MP MLA, opened the event and was the first doctor in Northern Ireland to officially sign up to the GMP poster.

Above: Sir Graeme Catto GMC President and other senior health and political figures show their support for the Good Medical Practice poster campaign.

Sir Graeme Catto officially launched the office and highlighted the role that Dr John Jenkins, a native of Northern Ireland and Chair of the GMC Standards and Ethics Committee, had played in the revision of Good Medical Practice. Richard Dixon of the Eastern Health and Social Services Council (a statutory patient body) highlighted the significant development of the new duties in relation to doctors working in partnership with their patients and said he would work with the GMC to raise awareness among patients. Chief Medical Officer, Dr Michael McBride, said that his office had already been working closely with the local GMC office. He also called on all general practices, clinics and hospitals to display the poster to highlight doctors' commitment to Good Medical Practice. The launch received widespread coverage in the Northern Ireland press and media, including BBC TV, all local radio channels and two of the main daily newspapers (Newsletter and Irish News).