Commenting on the GMC’s 2025 Fitness to Practise statistics report
Post date: 30/07/2026 | Time to read article: 1 minsThe information within this article was correct at the time of publishing. Last updated 30/07/2026
Dr Sarah Townley, Deputy Medical Director at Medical Protection Society, said:
“While the increase in referrals to the GMC is worrying, it is positive that the GMC seems to be closing many of these complaints early on, if they do not meet the criteria for an investigation into an individual doctor.
“We do however question whether it is appropriate for a regulatory system to be so bogged down with reviewing complaints about individual doctors that do not come close to meeting the threshold for an investigation. The GMC and NHS must better educate the public on the range of complaints processes available, and the high bar that is set for a regulatory investigation. With referrals up 25%, and 90% of all referrals failing to meet the threshold for investigation, this should serve as a wake-up call that more must be done. Improving awareness of the different routes available for raising concerns will benefit both patients and the regulator.”
