Parliamentarians’ perceptions survey 2026
This research reflects parliamentarians’ and legislators’ perceptions of the GMC. It was carried out in January 2026.
What were the key findings?
- 63% of parliamentarians are confident in us as a regulator. They are more confident in the way we regulate doctors compared to physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs).
- Those confident in our regulation say they generally trust regulators, followed by a belief that we look out for both the interests of patients and registrants.
- The role and responsibility politicians most associate with us are setting the professional standards expected of doctors, PAs and AAs.
- 30% of parliamentarians agreed that our approach to regulation anticipates and responds to the needs of the individual parts of the UK. This outweighed disagreement (12%).
- Over a third of all respondents agreed that we are focusing on the right issues as a regulator, with stronger agreement for Scottish and Welsh MPs (50% and 44%).
Why did we commission this research?
We commissioned this research to help us understand parliamentarians’ and legislators’ perceptions of us and our role in 2026. The surveys have been running since 2021 and help us to track changes over time.
The findings enable us to identify how effective our current engagement activities are. And where we need to focus our efforts over the coming years.
What did the research involve?
This research was delivered by an independent research consultancy, YouGov. The research was conducted via an online omnibus survey between 8 and 30 January 2026. The survey was completed by 113 members of the House of Commons, 44 members of the House of Lords, and 57 members of devolved assemblies.
