Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many doctors have opted to retire and remove themselves from the medical register before facing an impending disciplinary hearing in each of the last three years.

The information requested is held by the General Medical Council (GMC), an independent body responsible for dealing firmly and fairly with doctors whose fitness to practise is in doubt. Departmental officials have spoken with the GMC who have advised that, as it will take some time for them to extract the data, they will provide a response to the hon. Member directly.