Government to reconsult on GMC appeal powers after doctors’ threats of legal action

AI Summary

The UK government announced it will reconsult on the General Medical Council's powers to appeal decisions of the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service, reversing an earlier move after the British Medical Association threatened legal action.

Officials have climbed down from an initial attempt to retain the General Medical Council’s controversial right to appeal medical tribunal decisions.The capitulation came after the BMA threatened legal action over the move. In a response to the BMA’s pre-action letter the government has now confirmed that it will reconsult on the issue.When the GMC investigates a doctor the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS)—which is funded by the regulator—independently hears the case and then rules whether the doctor is fit to practise and what, if any, sanction they should face.Currently, the GMC has a right to appeal decisions made by the MPTS, something the BMA believes undermines doctors’ trust and confidence in the regulator. It also argues that it is unnecessary, as the Professional Standards Authority (PSA)—the regulators’ regulator—already has the right to appeal decisions of the MPTS.Earlier this year the government launched a consultation on the GMC that proposed not...