Fewer than half of GPs confident in GMC regulation despite small improvement
Although GP confidence in the GMC has improved, fewer than half (42%) of GPs say they are confident in its regulation of doctors.
Confidence in the regulator among GPs increased year on year by 13 percentage points, from 34% to 42%, in annual perceptions survey carried out last year.
The proportion who were not confident decreased to 56%, down from 70% in 2022.
The survey, which included 2,500 doctors and 400 physician associate (PA) and anaesthesia associates (AAs), also found GPs were less likely to have a favourable view of aspects of GMC regulation than others.
A smaller proportion of GPs agreed the GMC was: transparent (20% of GP respondents); consistent (24%); independent (31%); compassionate (9%); fair (18%); or understands experiences and challenges faced by doctors, PAs and AAs (18%).
There was also a notable disparity in confidence on how the GMC regulates PAs and AAs, between doctors and PAs/AAs themselves. Just 12% of doctors were confident compared to 74% of PAs and AAs.
The Government has launched a consultation on formally changing the name of the ‘physician associate’ role to ‘assistant’.
GMC chief executive Charlie Massey said: ‘Our goal is to be an effective, relevant and compassionate regulator, and we are committed to listening to a range of views, including those of patients, doctors, PAs and AAs, to help us as we work towards that.
‘This survey helps us understand how our role as a regulator is perceived, and the insights it provides us with will inform our future work, including our ongoing commitment to ensure our fitness to practise processes are fair and proportionate, and take account to the impact they can have on those being investigated.’
Doctors Association UK (DAUK) GP co-lead Dr Steve Taylor linked the low satisfaction among GPs to the ‘well-publicised disregard of doctors views on PAs and AAs, and ongoing concerns about the way the GMC investigates doctors’, saying it was ‘not at all surprising.
‘Doctors have been an afterthought despite the fact that they are the ones paying for the GMC’s existence and are the vast majority of registrants,’ he said.
‘The current board is failing and has failed to listen to the voices of the majority of doctors, and this survey confirms this. Hopefully this will be a wake-up call.’
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READERS' COMMENTS [4]
Please note, only GPs are permitted to add comments to articles
GMC Guidance for Doctors – “make the care of the patient the first concern”
GMC’s role – “maintaining public confidence in the Profession”
Striking doctors will inevitably worsen outcomes for patients and worsen care.
Public confidence in the Profession is at an all time low following the strikes.
The GMC is a failing organisation.
@Dave
The right to strike is legally protected. If the GMC took action against doctors on the grounds that they were striking, it would presumably find itself facing lawsuits it would have little chance of defending.
‘Striking doctors will inevitably worsen outcomes for patients and worsen care’. What a load of rubbish. There may be some risks at the time of a strike (although acute care is usually well served and the data does not show poorer outcomes at these times). Striking over pay and conditions can only have a positive outcome for patients if it preserves a dedicated workforce over time. Agree with the confidence in the profession although that is more a reflection on the toady right wing press who who would have NHS privatised just like the water companies. That worked out well.
The GMC should be led by doctors only. This avoid unworkable rules and poor decisions like this.