Inclusive and accessible standards

We put equality, diversity and inclusion at the centre of the Good medical practice review.

For example, we: 

Made sure our consultation events and workshops were fair and supportive for all

We provided ways to feedback anonymously and ran events in partnership with several representative organisations. Their expertise supported honest conversations about how the updated standards might work for different groups of medical professionals, in different settings and across different career stages.

Worked with specialist research companies to reach people who may not be able or want to complete online surveys.

This included speaking to refugees, those who have experienced domestic abuse, school children, young carers, people who need support to read, people undergoing gender reassignment, older people in residential care, people who have accessed healthcare while in prison, and people with physical and mental and sensory disabilities. They ran focus groups in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England. 

Read about the key findings of the research.

Carefully considered unintended consequences

We considered feedback on the potential for unintended consequences, including how the updated standards could unfairly affect certain groups of patients or professionals.

Tested the final standards

We ran focus groups with doctors, physician associates, anaesthesia associates, patients and healthcare organisations. This helped us to test the final version of the standards, making sure the language is clear and accessible for all. 

Set-up a diverse team

A large team of staff from across the organisation, including practising clinicians, have been involved in this review. They have experience and expertise in:

  • medical law and ethics
  • the realities of clinical practice and healthcare systems in each country of the UK
  • medical education and training
  • research and data analysis
  • equality, diversity and inclusion

You can read all of our equality analyses for detailed information about how we put equality, diversity and inclusion at the forefront of the standards: 

Part one: Equality analysis for the Good medical practice consultation
Part two: Review of Good medical practice: equality analysis April 2022 - June 2023
Part three: Review Good medical practice: equality analysis August 2023 onwards
Part four: Equality analysis for the more detailed guidance January 2023 - January 2024