About Us
The GMC's purpose is to protect the public by maintaining a register of doctors who are competent and fit to practise medicine. Our aim is to protect, promote and maintain the health and safety of the community by ensuring proper standards in the practice of medicine.
We do this by:
- Keeping accurate registers of qualified doctors
- Fostering good medical practice
- Promoting high standards of medical education
- Dealing firmly and fairly with doctors whose fitness to practise is in doubt
To guarantee public interest is best served we are undertaking a major reform programme. The underlying principles of which are effectiveness, inclusiveness, transparency and accountability. In December 2002, the Privy Council agreed new legislation, which allows us to implement our proposals - the most comprehensive and wide-ranging reform of professional regulation since the establishment of the GMC in 1858.
The reform programme has three main elements:
- Constitutional reform. In July 2003, the Council was reduced in size from 104 to 35; and lay membership was increased from 25% to 40%.
- Reform of our fitness to practise procedures to modernise the way we handle complaints about doctors. Some modifications have already been made, but the most substantial change - the introduction of a more streamlined process of handling complaints - will be introduced in 2004.
- Reform of our registration procedures - in particular the introduction of revalidation, the regular demonstration by doctors that they are up to date and fit to practise medicine. The first doctors will revalidate in 2005.
The overall objective of the package is a GMC that is fit for purpose in today's conditions, delivering professionally led regulation in partnership with the public.
As a further part of this modernising process we have opened a new Scotland office based in Edinburgh.
GMC Scotland is responsible for:
- Supporting the highest standards of medical practice, ethics, education and regulation.
- Working with a range of partners to ensure quality healthcare.
- Raising awareness of the GMC role as the medical regulator, maintaining the health and safety of the community.
- Participating in the development of robust health policy in Scotland.
In January 2005 the GMC also opened a new office in Wales, which functions to ensure the application of commonly held standards across the whole of the UK and is committed to contributing actively to the delivery of excellence in medical practice in Wales, working with Welsh health organisations, patients and the public.
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