GP leaders to debate GMC no-confidence vote at today's LMCs conference
GP leaders are set to vote on whether the BMA’s GP committee should submit a vote of no confidence in the GMC following the Dr Bawa-Garba case.
The BMA has accepted a last-minute motion at the LMCs conference in Liverpool, which asks GPs to vote on whether they have ‘no confidence in the GMC as a regulatory body’ after it won a controversial High Court bid to strike off the junior doctor from the medical register.
The High Court ruling brought a significant backlash from the medical community, with Dr Bawa-Garba originally being allowed to continue practising by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal (MPTS), after it found she had been operating within a failing system.
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The same motion will also see LMC leaders vote on whether GPs should ’disengage from written reflection in both appraisal and revalidation until adequate safeguards are in place’.
This comes after the health secretary, the medical royal colleges and the BMA expressed concern around the use of Dr Bawa-Garba’s own reflections in her e-portfolio, and admission of culpability – which were reportedly used in the case against her.
The motion to be debated at the conference also calls for a Health Select Committee review of ’the GMC’s conduct regarding this case’.
Health Committee chair and former GP Dr Sarah Wollaston has expressed concern over the ’unintended consequences’ of the ruling, and said a review would be necessary 'not only of system pressures but to make sure clinicians can learn from errors rather than be fearful of discussing them’.
The GMC is set to carry out a review into how gross negligence manslaughter is applied in medicine, which will also look at ‘diversity matters’.
Dr Bawa-Garba had been found guilty of gross negligence manslaughter in 2015. She was a registrar at the Children’s Assessment Unit at Leicester Royal Infirmary on 18 February 2011, and the most senior doctor on the shift, when a six-year-old child with sepsis died.
The motion in full
THE GPC: That the GPC seeks the views of conference on the following motion from the Sessional GPs Subcommittee: That conference, following the recent case of Dr Bawa-Garba;
(i) has no confidence in the GMC as a regulatory body
(ii) directs GPC to advise GPs disengage from written reflection in both appraisal and revalidation until adequate safeguards are in place
(iii) request the Health Select Committee review the GMC’s conduct regarding this case
(iv) mandates GPC to urgently implement a system whereby GPs can make collective statements of concern regarding unsafe care.
Readers' comments (10)
Semiretired | Locum GP09 Mar 2018 10:57am
VOTE for no confidence --don't just seek views.
enough views are expressed on pulse gp, face book etc.
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Unscepted | GP Partner/Principal09 Mar 2018 11:26am
Year after year, these views are sought at BMA meetings and the outcome at LMC Meetings reflects our choice of leaders. Should we not boycott the whole gang of LMC leaders and choose a younger group of flesh and blood instead of zombies who just have that ego problem and desire to be on the front page.
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Turn out the lights | GP Partner/Principal09 Mar 2018 12:19pm
No confidence in BMAS/LMCs I think if this doesnt get through.
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AlanAlmond | Locum GP09 Mar 2018 1:22pm
It be honest if they can’t pass this vote you’ve got to ask yourself wether we actually need a root and branch reorganisation of the LMC system. Time and again I’ve read how anything mildly controversial is voted down at the LMC conference. The only conclusion that would be drawn if this motion fails to pass is that there is something fundamentally broken at the core of the medical establishment. Really if they can’t see theres something badly amiss with the GMC I will faith in this organisation as a meaningful entity.
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AlanAlmond | Locum GP09 Mar 2018 1:24pm
...’loose’ faith. (word removed/auto corrected for some reason)
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Angus Podgorny | GP Partner/Principal09 Mar 2018 1:58pm
Agree with above. if LMCs do not go for this then they no longer represent me or many of my colleagues.
Until Dr Bawa Garba is reinstated, and there is a full apology with appopriate resignations (Massey, Stephenson) then I have absolutely no faith in this organisation.
(also £40K for private medicals!!!-in additional to being useless they are even taking the piss)
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Grinding Premolars | GP Partner/Principal09 Mar 2018 3:04pm
Money, meet mouth.
It’s time.
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Robin Sykes | GP Partner/Principal09 Mar 2018 4:41pm
’disengage from written reflection in both appraisal and revalidation until adequate safeguards are in place’ I think we should all copy and paste this statement into our forthcoming appraisals and submit nothing else. The GMC is an absolute disgrace and completely lost its way. It no longer functions as a regulatory body but seems to regard it's purpose as a lynch mob satisfying the demands of the baying public.
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Truth finder | GP Partner/Principal12 Mar 2018 9:32am
Are there not sufficient views in Pulse and doctors.net for this? If they vote to have confidence in the GMC then they have lost my confidence and I will be cancelling my subscription.
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anonymous5 | Locum GP13 Mar 2018 3:56pm
no confidence
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