The General Medical Council denied this week that its plans to lower the standard of proof in disciplinary proceedings against doctors in the United Kingdom would see more practitioners struck off the medical register.

Graeme Catto, the GMC's president, said: “We don't anticipate that this will lead to an increase in the number of doctors being erased from the register.”

Professor Catto was speaking at the launch of the GMC's proposals for far reaching reform of the system of medical regulation in the UK, made in response to recommendations from …