Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure that medical professionals who harm their patients face appropriate punishment.

It is the responsibility of the General Medical Council (GMC) to deal with concerns about a doctor’s fitness to practise.

The GMC is the independent regulator of all medical doctors practising in the United Kingdom. The GMC sets and enforces the standards all doctors must adhere to

If concerns are raised with the GMC about a doctor’s behaviour, health or performance, the GMC can investigate to determine whether patient safety, or the public’s confidence in doctors, is at risk. In serious cases, doctors are referred to The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) who make decisions on a doctor’s fitness to practise. If necessary, MPTS tribunals can restrict or remove a doctor’s right to practise medicine in the UK.

The GMC also has a discretionary power under the Medical Act 1983 to disclose information relating to a doctor’s fitness to practise where it is in the public interest to do so. Where necessary, this enables the GMC to share information with the police about suspected criminal offences.

Other healthcare regulators, including the Nursing and Midwifery Council, have processes for investigating concerns and taking action where registrants fall short of the required standards of conduct and performance.