The General Medical Council (GMC) has relaxed its fitness to practise (FTP) processes for doctors so that ‘minor’ concerns such as ‘pushing a colleague’ are not taken to tribunal.
In an update to its guidance, the regulator has given FTP decision makers and case examiners ‘more discretion’ to throw out complaints if they represent a lower risk to public protection.
Concerns which are ‘minor in nature and did not impact patient care’ will fall under this guidance.
This is part of the GMC’s efforts to carry out ‘more efficient and proportionate investigations’ and to ‘minimise’ stress for doctors during the FTP process.
Two examples of concerns which will no longer need to be investigated, if there are ‘no aggravating factors’, are:
- A doctor giving false details to a market research company, in order qualify for free products.
- A doctor pushing a colleague out the way following a heated argument.
The regulator has said: "Decision makers will now be able to weigh the full circumstances of a concern earlier in the fitness to practise process to assess the overall risk to public protection including to public confidence in the profession– meaning some concerns may not need to be investigated or referred to a tribunal."
However, the guidance, which covers concerns relating to violence and dishonesty, emphasises that allegations which raise a risk to public protection will continue to be investigated.
Source: Pulse, 4 April 2024
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