The Royal College of Physicians has responded to the GMC's annual fitness to practise report, highlighting the need for a modern, proportionate regulatory framework that protects patients, supports public confidence and enables concerns to be resolved fairly and efficiently.
Professor Mumtaz Patel, RCP president, said:
‘Doctors understand that maintaining patient trust is fundamental to good care. While this report shows an increase in concerns raised with the GMC, it is important to recognise that the overwhelming majority of concerns do not progress to formal investigation, and only a very small proportion of doctors are ultimately subject to regulatory action.
‘We welcome the GMC's continued emphasis on proportionate regulation, compassion and early resolution where concerns can be managed safely at a local level. Effective regulation plays a vital role in protecting patients and maintaining public confidence, but it must also be fair, transparent and supportive for the doctors involved. Where concerns are raised, patients and clinicians alike benefit from processes that resolve cases fairly, proportionately and without unnecessary delay.
‘The RCP has consistently supported the modernisation of medical regulation and welcomes the government's commitment to reforming the legislative framework. Patient safety must remain the primary consideration, but reform offers an opportunity to create a more proportionate and efficient system that supports a just culture, reduces unnecessary adversarial processes, and enables concerns to be resolved more quickly and fairly for everyone involved.’