Impact of regulatory reform

Regulatory reform will provide key benefits. It will transform how we deliver our statutory functions for patients and those we regulate. 

Reform will allow us to be:

• more flexible and accessible
• swifter and more efficient
• less adversarial
• simpler and more streamlined
• more accountable.

Reform will also give us the opportunity to improve our policies and processes. And achieve the goal from our 2026–30 strategy of being an effective, relevant and compassionate regulator. 

Below we outline how we expect regulatory reform to impact key areas of our work. Although this is dependent on the outcome of the Department of Health and Social Care’s consultation on the draft legislation. 

Fitness to practise

Reform will make our fitness to practise process less adversarial and allow us to resolve certain cases more quickly.  

For the first time, it will give us discretion to determine which cases we should investigate. This will allow us to close some cases quicker when we’ve confirmed there’s no current or ongoing risk to patients. This means we can focus our attention on the areas where action is needed most. 

It will give us a power to take swift action to remove registrants convicted of the most serious criminal convictions. Improving public confidence in regulation. 

We’ll have the power to propose a measure to protect the public at the end of an investigation. If a registrant accepts this, and that their fitness to practise is impaired, the matter can be resolved without the need for a hearing. This means a quicker, less stressful conclusion for patients and professionals. While continuing to protect the public. 

Reform will also remove the five-year rule. This currently restricts us from progressing some cases where there are older allegations.

Registration

Reform will allow us to streamline our registration processes to make entry onto our registers more consistent for registrants.

All applicants will be required to meet the same standards and criteria for registration. Making our processes more consistent and offering equality of opportunity for all professionals. Wherever they qualified.

Requirements for entry and re-entry to our register will be better aligned. Applicants applying to rejoin the register will need to show they meet the same standards and information requirements as those applying for registration for the first time.

A streamlined voluntary removals process will make it more straightforward for doctors, PAs and AAs to leave the register. But only where no fitness to practise concerns have been identified. 

Education and training

Reform will give us more flexibility over how we regulate education and training for all registrants.

We’ll be able to continue to approve, quality assure and promote high standards in existing pathways alongside newer ways of learning. And medical students, PA and AA students and doctors in training will have greater assurance as:  

• we'll approve and quality assure each individual course, rather than whole institutions
• when our standards aren’t being met, any necessary measures will happen in a timely, targeted way. And will drive improvement in the quality of education and training.

Governance

Reform balances  increased flexibility with more accountability. We’ll have a more explicit requirement to be transparent with the public and our registrants about how we work. There will be new duties to consult on substantial changes to our rules. And to engage the public in our work and ensure good practice around equality, diversity and inclusion.

We’ll also be required to report annually to each of the legislative bodies in all four countries in the UK. In reality, these are all things that we’re already doing. The GMC Order would formalise these as legal requirements and highlights their importance.

Our governing Council will be replaced with a unitary board made up of executive and non-executive directors. They will be appointed based on their skills, knowledge and expertise. To make sure we effectively deliver our statutory functions.