General Medical Council (GMC): The General Medical Council (GMC) regulates doctors in the United Kingdom. Its governing body - the Council - is made up of both doctors and members of the public.

The GMC is supposed to set the standards of Good Medical Practice it expects of doctors throughout their working lives; assures the quality of undergraduate medical education in the UK and co-ordinates all stages of medical education; administers systems for the registration and licensing of doctors to control their entry to, and continuation in, medical practice in the UK; deals firmly and fairly with doctors whose fitness to practice is questioned.

What action can the GMC take? Before the GMC can stop or limit a doctor's right to practice medicine, it needs evidence of impaired fitness to practice. This might be, for example, because they: have not kept their medical knowledge and skills up to date and are not competent; have taken advantage of their role as a doctor or have done something wrong; are too ill to work safely.

They can also issue a warning to a doctor where the doctor's fitness to practice is not impaired but there has been a significant departure from the principles set out in the GMC's guidance for doctors, Good Medical Practice.

If the GMC believe the issues raised in the complaint do not themselves raise questions about the doctor's fitness to practice, the action they take may depend on where the doctor is employed

.If the doctor is employed within the NHS, they will normally refer the matter to the doctor's employer, so that they can take what action they consider appropriate under their local procedures and report back to them if there are matters which may require the GMC to take action to protect patients.

The problem with this procedure is that you are probably making a complaint to the GMC after the Doctors employer has given you the impression they are covering up for the Doctor in question. There are reforms now being made at the GMC as many people are questioning the impartiality of people with medical backgrounds working at the GMC investigating medical people.

You should still go ahead and make a complaint about any doctor you have concerns about as even if the GMC do not take action against that Doctor, they will retain your complaint in the event further complaints of a similar nature are made about that Doctor. Also, the GMC will let the Doctor in question know they have had a complaint about them.

The situation at the GMC has for some time been questioned as acceptable. The mass murders by Dr Harold Shipman began enquiries into resolving some of those issues. Below is an extract from the Which Magazine that has campaigned for changes at the GMC for some time.

Shipman Inquiry shake up for GMC. Today's report vindicates many of Which?'s long standing criticisms of the GMC and its tendency to protect the interests of doctors before those of patients. Current reforms do go some way to address concerns but further action is needed to ensure that the GMC's first priority is patients and the public interest.

If you think the GMC have failed to take appropriate action against a Doctor, you can forward your complaint about that Doctor to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman for investigation.

To apply to post your complaint about the GMC: Email: contactnass@tiscali.co.uk.