Medical council shake-up planned to remove racist doctors

WorldPolitics
24 Mar 2026 • 5:00 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • The UK Government is proposing significant reforms to the General Medical Council (GMC), aiming to simplify the process of dismissing doctors found guilty of racist or antisemitic behaviour.
  • The overhaul, described as the biggest in four decades, comes after concerns that the current regulatory system is "outdated and too bureaucratic".
  • The proposed changes stem from a rapid review by Lord Mann, who found the existing system "too slow and too cumbersome" to deliver appropriate consequences for such actions.
  • Key recommendations include granting the GMC new powers to challenge decisions made by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service and enhancing the Professional Standards Authority's ability to scrutinise the outcomes.
  • Additionally, the government is consulting on removing a rule that prevents regulators from considering historic sexual abuse allegations after a five-year period.

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