MPS welcomes the opportunity to comment on these proposed changes to the GMC’s powers and procedures. We agree with the objective of clarifying the powers and responsibilities of the GMC and MPTS and we have made some detailed comments on the specific proposals below.

We have responded to the Legislation to Encourage Medical Innovation from the Department of Health.

We responded to the Legislation to encourage medical innovation consultation, which closed on 25 April 2014.

We responded to the government's consultation on the new offence of ill-treatment or wilful neglect, which closed on 31 March 2014.

MPS has responded to the the Courts Reform (Scotland) Bill, to read the full response please use the attachment provided.

We responded to the NHS Employers' consultation on maintaining high professional standards in the modern NHS, which closed on 6 September 2013.

MPS and DPL respond to the call for information on ‘How can professional regulation encourage healthcare professionals and social workers to be more candid when care goes wrong?’

In anticipation of the new statutory requirement to hold indemnity as a condition of registration for regulated healthcare professionals the HCPC produced guidance for their members on their obligations.

MPS welcomes the guidance from the Royal College of Anaesthetists as we think greater clarity on how performance issues should be managed is beneficial to both those who may have a concern about an anaesthetists performance and also those whose performance may be called into question. We made some specific suggestions as to how the guidance might be improved.

We have commented on the draft Courts Reform (Scotland) Bill.

We have welcomed the government’s proposed approach to transposing into UK law the EU requirement for healthcare professionals to have an indemnity arrangement in place.

We welcome the opportunity to respond to the Ministry of Justice consultation on the Damages Act 1996 – The Discount Rate.