News: PMETB merger gets green light

29 January 2010

Full steam ahead for PMETB merger

The merger of PEMTB with the GMC came a step closer in January with the passage through Parliament of the legislation needed to implement the change. Once the Privy Council gives its approval the merger will take place as planned on 1 April.

The GMC has also secured agreement from the Department of Health for funding for the costs of the merger. This will ensure that the estimated costs of £7.1 million for relocation and business integration will not be paid by doctors through their GMC Annual Retention Fees.

In July last year the GMC agreed to freeze in 2010-11 the fees charged to doctors by PMETB for the Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT), and the Certificates of Eligibility for Specialist or GP Registration (CESR and CEGPR). Later this year we will be consulting the profession on future fee arrangements for these certificates.

Paul Buckley, the GMC’s Director of Education, said: ‘We hope that once the merger is complete and the regulation of all stages of medical education is the responsibility of a single organisation, we can help deliver improvements across education and training providing real benefits to doctors in their medical careers.’

The legislation approving the merger also enabled a minor change to the GMC’s powers to re-register doctors in the event of a national emergency. In future, should such an emergency occur, the GMC will be able to restore doctors to the GP register without them having to submit a formal application.

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