GMC takes action to protect trainees and patients at Greater Manchester Obstetrics and Gynaecology department

The General Medical Council (GMC) has placed conditions on the training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at North Manchester General Hospital to ensure training standards are met and patient safety is maintained. The regulator, which is responsible for quality assuring postgraduate medical training, has applied the conditions to address concerns that GMC standards are not being met, including failing to demonstrate a culture that investigates and learns from mistakes, despite previous warnings.

A process called enhanced monitoring is the way the GMC ensures organisations address serious concerns about training.

Training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the hospital, which is part of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, has been subject to enhanced monitoring since November 2022 and satisfactory progress has not been made.

If those concerns are not fully addressed the GMC can then place conditions on its approval of a training programme.

The conditions are designed to ensure standards can be met on a sustainable basis, and that patient safety and trainee wellbeing is maintained. Ultimately, if conditions are not met, trainees can be removed from the site.

Professor Colin Melville, Medical Director and Director for Education and Standards at the GMC said:

‘We have placed conditions on Obstetrics and Gynaecology at North Manchester General Hospital which is part of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust to ensure long-standing concerns are addressed.

‘Despite ongoing work with the Trust for nearly three years, it is still not meeting the standards required, which need to be addressed as a priority. There are also concerns about the Trust’s ability to meet our standards in relation to educational governance and the handover of patient care within the department.

‘Our standards require training pathways to be fair for everyone to ensure effective training, trainee wellbeing and patient safety are maintained - but they are not currently being met.

‘NHS England – North West will work closely with the trust to provide evidence to the GMC that conditions are being met and we will be speaking with doctors in training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology to ensure progress is made.’

The GMC receives information about training from various sources, including its annual National training survey where doctors in training and trainers feedback on their experiences. In some instances, the GMC may activate enhanced monitoring procedures to protect patients and training.

Conditions will be regularly reviewed by NHS England – North West and the GMC.