GMC responds to the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review
In July this year, the UK government published their response to the 2020 Independent Medicine and Medical Devices Safety Review’s First Do No Harm report, led by Baroness Julia Cumberlege.
The report highlighted patient stories of unacceptable harm caused by medicines and devices, alongside recommendations for the healthcare system to reflect and act upon.
We continue to support the Department of Health and Social Care in its programme of work to coordinate and lead on follow-up to the review, and have also published our organisational response which can be viewed in full online. Our response details work we have undertaken since the report’s publication in two main areas:
- Our exploratory work to consider how conflicts of interest can be better managed and addressed to improve transparency.
- Publication of our guidance on shared decision making and consent - including a case study on sodium valproate and a patient guide for conversations with doctors.
At the heart of our new organisational strategy is a commitment that patients will be treated empathetically, fairly, and with dignity and respect in every interaction with us. This remains at the forefront of all our ongoing work on issues rightly identified by the review.