The Support Team Go To Digital UK Ltd The NMC have recently announced (24 April 2023) that they will now be taking a ‘different approach’ when nurses and midwives subject to FTP concerns ask to be removed from the register. Consideration of the seriousness of the concerns and the public interest will continue to be a significant factor in determining whether a registrant … Read more
The GMC have announced (29 March 2023) that their updated guidance for students applying to join the medical register “has led to a sustained fall in the number of low-level fitness to practise declarations needing no further action by the regulator, according to new data”. “In 2022, of 7,943 applications, only three were refused (0.04%). … Read more
I’m often contacted by new clients (in the main healthcare professionals) who are seeking advice shortly before the expiry of a deadline. Often, the request for advice or representation has followed many communications by the regulator which the healthcare practitioner simply couldn’t face, or didn’t understand, or didn’t know how to respond or sometimes where … Read more
The GMC has announced (16 December 2022) that it will “make initial contact with a doctor by phone if they need to investigate a concern…” The new process “follows positive feedback from medical defence organisations, is part of a series of improvements by the GMC to take a more compassionate approach and reduce the impact … Read more
The NMC has just published its latest data report (30/11/22) – showing a continued growth in the numbers of nurses, midwives and nursing associates on the register. The number of nurses grew over the last 6 months by 11,273 (1.7%), and the number of nursing associates grew by 1,156 (26.7%). “11,496 internationally educated professionals joined … Read more
The recent professional regulatory case of Ranga v General Medical Council, provides a helpful reminder as to some key considerations in a case involving a healthcare practitioner and multiple findings of dishonesty – in this case plagiarism, as well as dishonest conduct in relation to a clinical complaint which a patient had made against a colleague. The … Read more
The recent professional regulatory case (5 October) of NMC v Nursing and Midwifery Council, serves to highlight the difficulties that a regulator can face in seeking to extend an interim order – particularly one with a protracted history… Here, the regulator sought to further extend an interim order for suspension (ISO) which at the last … Read more
Whistleblowing and healthcare regulation: The GMC has published its annual report on whistleblowing disclosures together with 7 other healthcare regulators (NMC, HCPC, GDC, GOC, GPhC, GOsC, GCC). The GMC report that 62 concerns were raised with them by whistleblowers between April 2021 and March 2022 and whilst 48 were closed after an initial assessment, 11 … Read more
Interim Orders and the public interest: IB v The General Medical Council– whilst this recent (24 August) judgment is from the Scottish Courts, it provides a helpful reminder as to the principles that apply when an interim suspension made on public interest grounds is to be extended by the Courts. In this case, the doctor … Read more
The General Medical Council (GMC) has just issued an updated draft of its core standards for doctors with the aim of tackling ‘toxic cultures that threaten patient safety’. The draft document (part of a 12-week consultation) includes new duties upon doctors including: to take action and support others who are bullied, harassed, or discriminated against … Read more