The General Medical Council (GCM) is the sole regulatory body for doctors and psychiatrists in the UK, hereafter referred to collectively as doctor(s). The work they do is set out by the Medical Act 1983 and covers five areas:
- The medical register
There are currently over 300,000 on the register, with every doctor’s identity and qualifications being checked before they can join.
- Standards for Doctors
The GMC sets standards that define what makes a good doctor. The professional values, knowledge, skills and behaviours required of all doctors working in the UK are set out following consultation with a wide range of people, including patients, doctors, employers and educators.
- Education and training
The GMC makes sure doctors get the education and training they need by setting standards for undergraduate and postgraduate medical education and by monitoring training environments.
- Revalidation
Revalidation was introduced in 2012 and through this the GMC helps maintain and improve standards by ensuring that every licensed doctor in the UK is keeping their knowledge and skills up to date. Every doctor must have an annual appraisal with an experienced senior doctor and every five years the senior doctor reports back to the GMC to indicate whether that doctor is keeping up to date with the standards and giving good care.
- Addressing concerns
The GMC assesses whether an investigation is required when a serious concern is raised about a doctor’s behaviour or the way they do their job. Investigation is usually undertaken in cases when the doctor is putting the safety of patients, or the public’s confidence in doctors, at risk. A doctor may be issued advice or a warning or they may be required to restrict their practice, retrain or work under supervision. The maximum penalty is for the doctor to be struck off the register.
Healthcode has a republishing licence with the GMC and gets a feed, Monday to Friday (except Bank Holidays), of the List of Registered Medical Practitioners. The following information is captured and made visible to insurer and hospital organisations:
FIELD |
DESCRIPTION |
INSURER |
HOSPITAL |
Surname |
The practitioner's legal surname/family name (as recognised by a government or other legal entity). |
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Given Name |
The practitioner's legal first/given name (as recognised by a government or other legal entity). |
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Other Names |
The practitioner's legal middle name(s) (as recognised by a government or other legal entity). |
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Gender |
The practitioner's legal gender. |
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Qualification |
The medical degree or other primary qualification(s) achieved by the practitioner. |
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Year of Qualification |
The date the practitioner either passed their medical exams and received their first medical degree or, if not know, the date the degree was formally conferred. |
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Place of Qualification |
The university or medical training facility where the practitioner gained their qualification. |
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Status |
The current status of the practitioner's entry on the GMC register, including the Licence to Practise status, updated via the feed of the List of Registered Medical Practitioners. |
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Country of Qualification |
The country where the university or medical training facility is located. |
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Full Reg. Date |
The date on which the practitioner was listed as achieving full registration status with the GMC. Doctors need full registration with a licence to practise to either move on to the second year of the Foundation Programme in an approved training programme or to work in unsupervised medical practice in the NHS or private practice. |
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Specialist Reg. Date |
The date on which the practitioner was entered onto the Specialist Register. This means that they are eligible to take up appointment in any fixed term, honorary or substantive consultant post in the NHS excluding foundation trusts. |
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Provisional Reg. Date |
The date the practitioner gained provisional registration. Practitioners with a provisional registration can only practise in approved Foundation Year 1 posts. |
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Specialties |
The specialties and sub-specialties identified in the Specialist Register. Up to 7 specialties can be provided for the practitioner and up to 7 sub-specialites can be provided for each specialty. |
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GP Reg. Date |
The date the practitioner entered the GP Register. The practitioner must have a specialist medical qualification or training in general practice to apply. |
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FTP Conditions |
An indication of whether the practitioner has active Fitness to Practise conditions applied to their registration. This may take the form of restricting the practitioner's practice to certain areas or working under supervision. |
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FTP Undertakings |
An indication of whether the practitioner has active Fitness to Practise undertakings applied to their registration. Undertakings are enforceable agreements between the GMC and the practitioner about their future practice. |
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FTP Warnings |
An indication of whether the practitioner has an active Fitness to Practise warning applied to their registration. A warning is issued either where concerns raised about the practitioner indicate a significant departure from the principles set out in the GMC's guidance, Good Medical Practice, or if there is a significant cause for concern following assessment, but a restriction on the registration is not necessary. |
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Revalidation Status |
The practitioner’s current Revalidation Status. |
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Designated Body |
The name of the practitioner’s current Designated Body. This is the organisation that will provide the practitioner with regular appraisals and support with revalidation. |
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Responsible Officer |
The name of the practitioner's current Responsible Officer. The Responsible Officer is the individual within the Designated Body who has overall responsibility for helping the practitioner with revalidation. |
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ARF Due Date |
The date that the practitioner’s Annual Retention Fee (ARF) is due. |
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Red = Mandatory Blue = Conditional Green = Automatically populated