Exclusive A GP who is the longest-serving elected GMC Council member in history has hit out at the GMC for spending £280,000 on private medical insurance, labelling the move an ‘abuse of trust'.
Pulse revealed last week that the GMC has offered its employees private medical insurance since 1997 and Dr Krishna Korlipara, a GP in Bolton who served on the GMC council for 24 years before standing down in 2008, told Pulse he was ‘appalled' over this use of GMC funds.
The GMC uses its income – the vast majority of which comes from doctors registration fees – to provide private medical insurance to 480 of its 640 permanent staff across the UK, at a total cost of around £280,000 - an average cost of £583 per employee. The cover is only offered to full-time staff. Doctors who serve on the GMC Council are not offered the benefit.
Dr Korlipara, who said he was unaware of the GMC's outlay until Pulse revealed the details last week, said: ‘I am appalled to hear this news. If this information is correct, it would represent an abuse of trust placed in the GMC by the medical profession.'
‘Doctors pay their annual membership fees in the belief and expectation that the money would be spent wisely towards the cost of professional regulation which should legitimately include premises costs and staff salaries, but not perks like private medical insurance.'
A spokesperson for the GMC said the spending equated to just 0.7% of its full staffing costs.‘Like many organisations, we offer a range of benefits to attract and retain staff,' she said.
‘Staff who make a claim pay an excess of £250 to keep costs at an acceptable level.'
