Closing temporary emergency registration
In 2020, the UK government asked us to grant temporary emergency registration and/or a licence to doctors who’d previously left the profession, as part of the response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Towards the end of 2023, the government confirmed that this form of registration would close in March 2024. On 13 March 2024 we removed temporary emergency registration or licence from all doctors who were still holding it.
If your question isn’t answered here, please contact us by emailing response@gmc-uk.org or calling us on 0161 923 6602.
What does the closure of temporary emergency registration mean for doctors who were holding it?
We removed temporary emergency registration from all doctors holding it on 13 March 2024.
We wrote to doctors affected to let them know that we were doing this and that if they were working as a doctor in the UK, they needed to stop on this date.
We explained that if they held registration before we gave them temporary emergency registration, they’d return to holding it without a licence to practise.
We also explained how to restore their registration and/or licence to practise if they want to continue practising.
Why did you remove doctors’ temporary emergency registration on the 13 March instead of at the end of March?
We did this to ensure we were able to comply with the instruction from the UK government that temporary emergency registration must close by the end of March 2024.
There were various steps we needed to undertake to remove a doctor’s temporary emergency registration, so this date meant we were able to manage this in a planned and effective way.
My contract continues until the end of March 2024. Will I be able to work until the end of the month?
No. If you want to continue working after the 13 March 2024 you will need to restore your registration and/or licence to practise. You must stop working as a doctor in the UK until you’ve done this.
What are my options for continuing to support the UK health service after March 2024 if I don’t want to restore my routine registration and licence to practise?
If you don’t want to restore your registration and/or licence to practise, there may be roles you can carry out without it.
We advise you to speak to your employer, or the organisation, scheme or service you’re contracted to, about whether you need a licence to practise for those roles. This isn’t something we can advise on.
However, you might also find our licence to practise top tips helpful. They provide guidance on the steps you can take to help you decide whether you need a licence.
What support is available to pay the fee to restore my routine registration fee and my annual retention fee?
There are a range of options we can offer to support you. For example, if your total taxable income from all sources, including your pension, is under the income threshold you may be eligible for a 50% income discount on your annual retention fee.
You can also spread out the cost throughout the year if you pay via Direct Debit. Further details can be found on our pages on setting up a Direct Debit.
Further questions
If you have any further questions, please contact us on response@gmc-uk.org or call 0161 923 6602.
