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Final year medical students to be registered by GMC from next week

GMC

The annual provisional registering process for final year medical students annual will begin next week so they can help combat Covid-19 earlier, the GMC has confirmed. 

This will entail 7,500 newly qualified doctors joining the NHS workforce three months earlier than would normally be the case, as part of the efforts against coronavirus (Covid-19).

The students, who will also be asked to start work and must be willing to do so, must still apply to the GMC for their provisional registration. This will only be granted once their medical school has confirmed their graduation.

However, the GMC will not charge any fees for registering them. 

The GMC has also been asked to grant temporary registration to doctors who gave up their registration three to six years ago, under its emergency powers so that they are able to help with the pandemic.

All four of the UK’s chief medical officers have agreed the move, which follows last week’s registration of approximately 15,500 doctors who had given up their registration or licence to practise within the last three years.

Una Lane, director of registration and revalidation at the GMC, said: ‘Following discussions with the UK’s Chief Medical Officers and the Department for Health and Social Care, we have started the process to temporarily register additional groups of doctors who had given up their registration or licence to practise in recent years.

‘We know from the response to the first group temporarily registered last week that many will be keen to help, but we also understand that many will have questions and concerns. Temporary registration allows doctors to work in the NHS, but it would be up to each individual whether or not they would wish to do so and in what capacity.’

Health secretary Matt Hancock said: ‘We all owe a huge debt of gratitude to the healthcare professionals who have responded to the “Your NHS Needs You” call to arms to return to the frontline and help the NHS tackle coronavirus.

‘The response has been amazing so far, with thousands coming forward to help us overcome the biggest challenge our NHS has ever faced. Now even more nurses, midwives and doctors will have the opportunity to sign up and be supported to return.

‘Every single health and care professional working on the frontline is a hero, and with your help we will continue to support the vulnerable and save lives.’