A discriminating judgment

doi:10.1136/bmj.a809

Published 14 July 2008, doi:10.1136/bmj.a809
Cite this as: BMJ 2008;337:a809

Observations

Body Politic

A discriminating judgment

Nigel Hawkes, health editor, The Times

nigel.hawkes@thetimes.co.uk

The GMC’s stance on the retention fee for doctors over65 raises the wider question of just who the GMC is actuallyfor

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Doctors who have passed the age of 65 have had some unwelcomenews. The General Medical Council has, on the advice of learnedcounsel, told them that the practice by which they are allowedto stay on the register without paying the annual retentionfee is illegal.

In future, says the GMC, doctors who want to remain on the registerwill have to pay the fee, which currently stands at £390( ${euro}$ 490; $780) a year. This has not been universally well received;nor does it seem to make sense. As one retired surgeon pointedout to me, life is full of examples where elderly people aregiven privileges: television licences, rail fares, bus passes,prescription fees, concessions on theatre and concert tickets.As Confucius put it: "Old age, believe me, is a good and pleasantthing. It is true you are gently shouldered off the stage, butthen you . . . [Full text of this article]

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Retirement and not age: Abhijit M Bal
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'Retired Dcotors':Why Do They Want to be on GMC Register(and have it free)?: Jay Ilangaratne
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A Discriminating Judgement: William D Jeans
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Re: Retired Members and the GMC: Norman A Simmons
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A discriminating judgment: Mark S Parry
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Age discrimination: GEORGE Y. CALDWELL, et al.
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GMC Annual Registration Fee: Proposed end to age related exemption. Some comments from the Medical Ethics Alliance: A Cole, et al.
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