The General Medical Council (GMC) has launched another 23 appeals against its tribunal’s rulings, new data has revealed.
Figures obtained by the Medical Protection Society (MPS) under the Freedom of Information Act show the regulator has appealed a further 23 Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) cases since the Government committed to disallowing GMC appeals in June 2018.
Government legislation to strip the GMC of its right to appeal is still not in place, despite the Government making its intention clear in June four years ago.
Doctors Association UK co-chair Dr Matt Kneale told Pulse ‘no other regulatory body under the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) has the power to overturn tribunal decisions, but the GMC continues to have this exceptional ability despite the Williams review being published four years ago.
‘The case of Hadiza Bawa-Garba proved that the GMC would not be trusted to exercise this power with due care and diligence, yet it remains in place. With the recent concerns surrounding the higher rates of MPTS cases amongst black and ethnic minorities, prompting our own request for the PSA to intervene, it is crucial that the Williams review findings are implemented as soon as possible.’
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