Medical Protection responds to the GMC’s ‘State of Medical Education and Practice in the UK’ 2015 report

Medical Protection welcomes the insights which can be drawn from the General Medical Council’s (GMC) ‘State of Medical Education and Practice in the UK’ 2015 report.¹ The report highlighted that of 2,750 complaints that the GMC investigated in 2014, 1,428 closed without further action. This means that more than half of all complaints that the GMC investigated closed with no further action on the practitioner. It was also reported that the average GMC case length was 6.2 months.

Dr Rob Hendry, Medical Director at Medical Protection said:

“We are well aware of the serious impact a GMC investigation can have on a doctor’s mental and/or physical health and lengthy investigations can put doctors under additional pressures. Our survey of 180 doctors investigated by the GMC over five years found that 93% of respondents’ involved in GMC investigations felt that it had impacted on their stress/anxiety and 72% believed that the investigation had a detrimental impact on their mental and/or physical health.²

“While it is appropriate that the GMC investigates and sanctions unacceptable conduct, the high proportion of investigations that are closed with no further action indicates that more emphasis needs to be on effective triaging of complaints, and the current threshold for opening an investigation may be too low.

“We would urge the GMC to encourage and promote greater use of local resolution in the first instance. In addition, it is important for practices and trusts to offer a robust and effective complaints service which can command the trust and confidence of their patients, and help to reach a resolution for all parties quickly.”

Dr Hendry added:

“In this tough environment, we remind our members that we are by their side offering protection at every step of their career through advice and education – we are much more than a last line of defence.”

Ends

For further information please contact Shannon Darling, Medical Protection Press Officer at +44 020 7399 1319 or email [email protected]

Notes to editor:

1. The GMC’s State of Medical Education and Practice in the UK report will be published on Tuesday, 17 November 2015
2. MPS conducted a survey in October 2014 of doctors, including GPs and consultants, who had been involved in a GMC investigation in the last five years to understand more about their experience and determine the impact it had on their health. The survey received 180 respondents. The full press release can be found here