Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to require the Medical Practitioners' Tribunal Service to prioritise consideration of the victims of sexual offences and the need to prevent reoffending when imposing sanctions on doctors found to have committed serious sexual offences.

The General Medical Council (GMC) is independent of the Government, directly accountable to Parliament, and is responsible for operational matters concerning the discharge of its statutory duties. The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service is a statutory committee of the GMC. The United Kingdom’s model of healthcare professional regulation is founded on the principle of regulators operating independently from the Government.

The Department discusses a range of issues with the GMC, including cases of sexual misconduct. We will continue to engage with the GMC on this issue, including to understand how the new guidance may impact the outcomes of tribunal findings in cases of sexual misconduct.