Media release
Date: 23 June 2026

The Government’s aim to improve and simplify the outdated regulation of doctors will be hampered by their proposals to allow both the General Medical Council (GMC) and Professional Standards Authority (PSA) to examine and appeal fitness to practise (FtP) decisions, according to the MDU’s response to the Government consultation.

The MDU – which has long campaigned to reduce the lengthy timescales of FtP proceedings (1) – says the new proposals risk creating an overly bureaucratic regulatory system, with multiple layers of review and appeal. It warns that repeated scrutiny of decisions that have already been independently assessed will prolong cases, adding to the considerable stress doctors face during this process. It also contradicts previous Government-backed reviews that the GMC’s powers of appeal should be removed (2).

The MDU also wants to increase the timeframe for doctors to respond to the GMC regarding measures around their professional registration, particularly to take account of those suffering serious health challenges which would prevent them responding. It also argues that the GMC should have greater discretion around the sanctions it imposes for a doctor’s failure to communicate with the GMC, particularly when it would lead to their removal from the register.

The MDU backs the increased use of ‘accepted outcomes’ in FtP cases, which it hopes will lead to faster resolution of cases without the need for full hearings. It also warmly welcomed the retention of health as a category of impairment in FtP cases.

Other key MDU concerns include:

• New information-gathering powers for the PSA risk increasing timescales for FtP cases - DHSC should provide greater clarity around the rationale for this.
• A time limit should be introduced for ‘revisions of decisions’, to provide certainty that once a set period of time has lapsed, the case against a registrant will be closed.
• Ensure legislation is clear that certain information about doctors held on the GMC Register – such as their home address - cannot be published.
• Accepted outcomes should also be offered at the interim order stage, which could help save time, reduce stress and provide financial savings.
• Efficiency gains made through the greater use of ‘accepted outcomes’ risk being undermined by increased bureaucracy elsewhere in the system.

Responding to the consultation, Tom Reynolds, Director of Policy and Communications at the MDU, said:

“The MDU has long argued that the GMC’s professional regulation needs updating to make it more timely, fair and proportionate for doctors, so we welcome this consultation.

“However, as they stand, rather than simplifying the regulatory process, some of the proposed reforms could make the situation even more complex and protracted. This outcome would be a tragedy for doctors who have waited so long for positive reform.

“Fitness to practise investigations currently take around two years, placing a huge strain on doctors going through the process. Retaining the GMC's right of appeal while expanding the PSA's powers risks adding more layers of bureaucracy to an already lengthy process. This will undoubtedly increase the uncertainty doctors face and prolong what is already an exhausting and highly stressful experience."

"This consultation represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a regulatory system which is fair, efficient, and proportionate. We urge the Government and DHSC officials to ensure the final reforms simplify the system and get this right for those who are most impacted by the changes – the healthcare workers at the heart of our NHS.”

Notes to editors

The MDU's full consultation response is here

The average timeframe for an FtP case is 95 weeks, according to PSA’s most recent GMC monitoring report
The 2018 Williams Review recommended that the GMC be stripped of its right to appeal MPTS decisions, followed by the 2019 Hamilton Review.
The Department of Health and Social Care consultation, "Reforming the General Medical Council legislative framework", proposes significant changes to the way doctors are regulated and fitness to practise cases are managed.

Press contact: Vicky Smith, vicky.smith@themdu.com or jessica.hammonds@themdu.com

GMC regulatory reforms present ‘grave risk’ for doctors, warns MDU