GMC in Scotland

Responding to devolution

As a UK wide body, the General Medical Council regulates all doctors registered in Scotland. We are set up by law to carry out four key functions.

Regulation of doctors is a reserved power. Policy is therefore led and set by the Department of Health in Whitehall and legislation considered in Parliament at Westminster.

However, with increasingly divergent health structures and health policy across the UK, the GMC has established offices in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to respond effectively to devolution and contribute to ensuring regulation remains appropriate in each part of the UK.

About GMC Scotland

The GMC's Scotland office, which is based in Edinburgh, was launched in March 2004. It is responsible for the following activities:

• Ensuring the voice and interests of Scottish patients and public are considered in the development of GMC policy and guidance
• Monitoring and assisting the GMC's response to developments in health policy, legislation and structures in Scotland
• Liaise with the Scottish Government and other decision makers regarding changes in medical regulation
• Raising awareness of the role and functions of the GMC within Scotland
• Providing a point of contact for MSPs, doctors and their representatives, patients and the public, academics and employers.

Other enquiries

For details on the range of services provided by the GMC, and where to access them, please click on the links below.

• Registering doctors
• Registration enquiries
• Handling complaints about doctors
• Holding disciplinary hearings

For contact details for these services and others, please see our Contacts section.