Fitness to practise process must change, says GMC chair

The United Kingdom’s fitness to practise process must be reformed, the chair of the General Medical Council has said.

Presenting the annual Stevens Lecture at the Royal Society of Medicine in London on Monday 16 May, Terrence Stephenson said he wanted to move the GMC away from being perceived as the “policeman” of the profession.

He said, “For most doctors, what the GMC is known for is tackling bad practice and striking doctors off. Unfortunately, because we are creatures of statute, we have to follow the 1983 [Medical] Act, and you will see that this is really rather a hammer to crack a nut. I’m determined …