Services for you & your family
Doctors
Our services to doctors and medical students
Medical defence lawyers are here to help you in all dealings with the GMC. Whilst based in the central location of Derbyshire, our lawyers representing doctors can assist anyone in the UK.
The General Medical Council (GMC)
is responsible for ensuring that all doctors who practise in the UK are registered with a licence to practise and for maintaining the high standards of the profession, in practice and in their education and training.
Obtaining Registration with the GMC with a licence to practise
Whether you are seeking to obtain GMC registration or wishing to consider an appeal against a refusal to grant we can help. The process involves satisfying the Fitness to Practise criteria and can often be fraught with difficulties especially if you have any outstanding issues concerning your fitness to practise record or you have a conviction/caution or even a fixed penalty notice.
Our advice is often sought in respect of PLAB test issues or may include considering your eligibility for exemption under EC rights.
Call us before you make your application.
Fitness to Practise
The GMC FTP Directorate is responsible for maintaining high standards of professional competence and conduct and to protect the interests of patients and the public. Complaints can be made by patients or relatives, a National Heath Trust or a Primary Care Trust. All medical professionals are bound by their professional codes of conduct and ethics and Good Medical Practice and breaches of these are taken very seriously. They are investigated and proceedings are taken by the Fitness to Practise team. It is essential that doctors communicate and cooperate fully in this process from the outset.
Interim Orders
If the allegations are very serious and there are grounds to consider that patient or public safety may be compromised, proceedings can be brought for an interim order resulting in the suspension of the practitioner for up to 18 months or imposition of conditions of practise. Representation is absolutely essential in defending these proceedings.
Case Examiners
We specialise in advising and assisting doctors who are subject to investigation and are invited to respond at the Investigation Stage to the allegations.
Early intervention is often key to avoiding the matter being referred to a full Fitness to Practice hearing and there are a range of sanctions available to the case examiners at this stage which can be invoked to bring the matter to a conclusion. It is also the stage where depending on the evidence and the nature of the allegations, consideration may be given by the case examiners to refer a doctor for a health or performance assessment.
We can also deal with review hearings where such sanctions have been imposed or hearings before the Investigation Committee concerning the imposition of a Warning.
Appeals
We are regularly asked to advise and assist those who have been through Fitness to Practise proceedings and wish to appeal against the decision of the Panel. There is a 28 day time limit to appeal to the High Court commencing on the date of the notification of the decision.
Restoration to the Register
We can also assist those who wish to be restored to the register following erasure, whether through disciplinary proceedings, administrative erasure or voluntary erasure, subject to the 5 year rule.
Revalidation
Plans for Revalidation to be implemented by December 2012.
All doctors holding a licence to practise will need to participate in revalidation.
For most doctors, revalidation will be a five year cycle. Every five years the GMC will require confirmation in the form of a recommendation from a doctor's Responsible Officer that they are up to date and fit to practise and that there are no significant unaddressed concerns about their practice.
Revalidation is not expected to roll-out until late 2012. In the meantime, doctors should ensure that they:
Find out who their Responsible Officer is
Participate in annual appraisal
Are familiar with the GMC’s Good Medical Practice Framework and Supporting information guidance?
For more information about what you should be doing now to prepare for revalidation, please see the GMC revalidation page and to download the guidance documents.
We can advise and assist you in respect of your application to get it right first time!
