Date Published: 8 December 2006

General Medical Council signs formal working agreement with Healthcare commission

News from the United Kingdom (UK):

The Healthcare Commission and the General Medical Council (GMC) have recently signed a formal agreement, ensuring they work together to improve health and other public services, share accurate and high quality information and ensure patients know the doctors treating them are appropriately qualified.

A memorandum of understanding signed today defines the circumstances in which, and the processes through which, the Healthcare Commission and the GMC will co-operate when carrying out their respective functions in England and Wales.

Potential areas for collaboration include:

• Coordination and exchange of information
• General (sharing of information about trends, concerns, data etc)
• Cross referral of concerns
• Seeking and giving advice
• Complaints
• Provision of training and guidance
• Feedback and contributions to annual reporting
• External communications
  Sharing resources
  

Finlay Scott, Chief Executive of the GMC said:

" I gladly welcome this agreement as it formally establishes the roles and responsibilities that we and the Healthcare Commission will adhere to when working together in the interests of patient protection, information sharing and public safety. This memorandum will enable our two organisations to work more closely together to ensure that the quality of healthcare and treatment provided by doctors is upheld at all times.".

Anna Walker, Chief Executive of the Healthcare Commission said:

" We at the Healthcare Commission look forward to this opportunity for a clearer, formally agreed working partnership between ourselves and the GMC. This is an exciting commitment and will lead to improved communication between us and therefore greater public and patient protection - a priority that is and will remain at the forefront of both of our work".

Background Information:
The General Medical Council (GMC) licenses doctors to practise medicine in the UK. Our purpose, to protect, promote and maintain the health and safety of the public by ensuring proper standards in the practice of medicine, is summed up in the phrase: Regulating doctors, Ensuring Good Medical Practice. According to law, the GMC has four main functions: (1) keeping up-to-date registers of qualified doctors, (2) fostering good medical practice, (3) promoting high standards of medical education, (4) dealing firmly and fairly with doctors whose fitness to practise is in doubt.
The Health and Social Care Act imposes on the Healthcare Commission the overall function of encouraging improvement in the provision of health care by and for NHS bodies.

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