Exclusive Fitness-to-practise (FTP) investigations against GPs have decreased since 2019, data from the General Medical Council (GMC) has revealed.
Between 2019 and 2021, GP FTP investigations fell by almost half (45%), from 476 to 261, and the total number of investigations carried out by the regulator against all doctors has also decreased.
Anthony Omo, general counsel and director of fitness to practice, told Pulse the GMC has ‘worked hard’ to streamline its FTP process.
He added that the regulator is keen for the Government to amend legislation to enable them to be ‘fairer and more focused’ in their investigations.
The Government said it will enact legislation that ‘will allow decisions to be made more quickly, providing early resolution for patients, families and professionals, and ensuring that the steps necessary to protect the public are put in place sooner’.
However, this has been delayed ‘until at least 2024’.
The BMA welcomed the drop in the number of investigations, but added it remained a concern that ethnic minority doctors were still more likely to face investigation than white doctors.
Total number of investigations Total number of GP investigations Percentage of total that are against GPs 2019 1,549 476 31% 2020 1,119 299 27% 2021 1,007 261 26%
Mr Omo said the GMC ‘only carry out full investigations where patients or public confidence are at risk’.
He added: ‘Although we have reduced the number of doctors that we investigate, we are limited in our progress by the outdated legislation, which needs updating and which forces us to bring too many doctors into our fitness to practise investigations. Regulatory reform would enable us to be fairer and more focused on the cases that matter for patient protection and public confidence.
‘We remain ready to progress the regulatory reforms as soon as the Department of Health and Social Care lays the necessary legislation to do.’
Meanwhile, BMA professional regulation committee chair Dr Mark Corcoran told Pulse that while it is ‘good’ that fewer GPs have recently undergone FTP investigations, the BMA has been ‘clear’ that the current FTP process is ‘not fit for purpose’.
Dr Corcoran explained: ‘Problems can begin at the very onset of a decision to refer, with concerns about inconsistency and unfairness of referrals.
‘The GMC’s own research shows that ethnic minority doctors are already referred at twice the rate of white doctors, and international medical graduates are referred at three times the rate as UK trained doctors. And upon receipt of a referral there are further concerns about the objectivity and fairness in the GMC’s decision to investigate.’
Dr John Holden, chief medical officer at MDDUS, told Pulse: ‘Our members will be reassured to see the number of GMC investigations reducing, which is in line with a scheme it first piloted before the pandemic hit.
‘The reduction in the number of GPs facing investigation is particularly welcome. We hope this is a recognition by the GMC of the stresses and pressure these doctors had to deal with while working on the frontline of Covid-19.’
Dr Udvitha Nandasoma, head of advisory services at MDU, told Pulse they were ‘pleased’ to see the drop in the number of investigations, but added ‘we must be cautious about over interpreting these figures.
‘GPs are now under more pressure than ever. To ensure this seemingly positive trend in GP investigations continues, we need the government to deliver on its promise to modernise regulation at the GMC. They need to bring in that legislation this year. This was a promise they made to the profession last year, and it is a promise that needs to be kept.’
The BMA and MDU complained to the health secretary last month, after learning that legal reform to fitness-to-practise processes for doctors due to come in this year will be delayed ‘until at least 2024’.
Dr Rob Hendry, medical director at Medical Protection Society, told Pulse the reduction may be due to a mixture of pandemic-related factors.
He said: ‘For example, many patients delayed or did not seek medical attention for non-Covid-19 illnesses or injuries during the first wave of the virus because they felt that an issue not related to Covid-19 would not be considered a priority or they did not want to bother NHS staff already under pressure.
‘Patients who did access healthcare services during the peak of the virus may have also been less likely to complain due to the overwhelming public support for the NHS at that time.’
He added: ‘The GMC’s guidance for their staff on how to take the context created by Covid-19 into account when considering complaints about doctors may also be a contributing factor, however we expect a clearer picture on the impact of this guidance to emerge in the coming years.’
The GMC unveiled new guidance on assessing allegations in September 2020, and said the ‘unpredictable circumstances’ of the pandemic would be taken into account when investigating doctors’ fitness to practise.
The GMC also said in January 2022 it would take into account ‘sustained fatigue’ experienced by GPs during the pandemic when assessing FTP complaints.
Several groups have criticised the GMC’s recent proposed changes to its Good Medical Practice (GMP) guide, saying they could ‘open the floodgates’ to FTP investigations, which the GMC disputed.
Well, perhaps, after all, the sentiments of the ordinary patient are not in line with the feelings expressed more generally in most daily printed newspapers!
The fact this is even an article is a pretty lame state of UK medicine. When the politicians change their ministerial code and drink and smoke drugs on the job with their friends in finance and all the other “putting your profession into disrepute” comedy. All hush hush. You have standards comparable to some hypothesised Godly world. It’s called “They told you a lie”.