Progress against our equality, diversity and inclusion targets

  1. Summary
  2. Our targets to address areas of inequality
  3. Progress against our equality, diversity and inclusion targets
  1. Making sure our processes are fair
  2. How we support equality diversity and inclusion

Our most recent Equality, diversity and inclusion: targets, progress, and priorities report outlines the progress we and others have made against our targets to: 

  • eliminate disproportionate employer fitness to practise referrals by the end of 2026
  • to eliminate inequality and unfairness in medical education and training by 2031
  • improve the representation, progression and inclusivity of ethnic minority staff at the GMC by 2026. 

Using the latest available data, the report highlights how our work, and the work of others across the UK’s healthcare systems, is affecting change. It includes updated calls to action for system leaders, designated bodies and responsible officers, with more focus on accountability and evidence.  

The report also provides an update on our work to assure fairness in our regulatory decision-making. 

Read the most recent report

Progress across our programmes 

This progress report shows the continued proactive action to address inequalities, across the work underway to deliver the targets: 

  • Fairer employer referrals - the report highlights encouraging progress towards our target to eliminate disproportionate employer referrals of ethnic minority and internationally qualified doctors. 
  • Fair training cultures - there have been improvements in fairness in some areas of postgraduate specialty training, but inequalities remain across key measures, including specialty exams and differences in new doctors' preparedness for practice. 
  • Inclusivity within the GMC - we met our workforce representation target, and we're focusing attention on challenges that remain, such as representation at management level. 
  • Assuring fairness within regulatory practice - every part of the GMC has a plan to strengthen how we check for fairness and bias in our regulatory decisions. We've also made fairness and anti-bias part of the job descriptions for decision makers. 

What we’re doing to support progress 

Continued system-wide action is still needed, as inclusive working and training environments help doctors to identify risks, raise concerns and deliver safe care. We’re continuing to commission research, work with others and share what we learn across the four UK healthcare systems. This includes: 

Previous reports 

Previous Our targets to address areas of inequality Next Making sure our processes are fair

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