BMA Cymru backs new GMC guidance on end of life care

New guidance for doctors, “Treatment and care towards the end of life: good practice in decision making” has been published by the GMC.

The BMA has been involved with the development of this guidance and we support it. How best to care for individuals at the end of life is one of the most complex areas in medicine and it is essential that clear guidance is in place to assist doctors to act in the best interests of their patients.

The emphasis on advance care planning discussions with patients is to be welcomed, taking onboard their wishes and preferences and subsequently delivering quality care partnered with these choices.

The guidance highlights the importance of good communication, and is clear about the need to work with the patient or where appropriate their relatives or advocate to ensure that they are treated fairly, with dignity and without prejudice.

It will also be invaluable for patients and their relatives who need the reassurance of readily accessible information about what to expect in the very anxious period at the end of a person's life.

The guidance and supporting materials are available on the GMC website here.

GMC consultation on the revalidation of doctors

The GMC is consulting on its plans for the revalidation of doctors.

We asked Niall Dickson, the new Chief Executive of the GMC a few questions about the consultation when he visited Cardiff this week.

Take a look here:



To have your say or to find out more, please visit www.gmc-uk.org/thewayahead

Revalidation in Wales

Just to make you aware of a revalidation event which BMA Cymru Wales is organising, to be held in Cardiff on October 21st 2009.

Chairman of the General Medical Council, Professor Peter Rubin will be speaking at the event and wants to hear doctors' views about how revalidation should be implemented in Wales.

This event is open to ALL doctors (whether a BMA member or not)in Wales.

If you would like to attend please email BMA Cymru Wales CEO Sarah Miller - smiller@bma.org.uk

It would be good to get as many doctors there as possible, to get a wide range of views.

Reminder about GMC Licensing campaign

I thought it important to bring to members’ attention the launch of the next phase of the GMC’s licensing campaign, called ‘Licensing: it’s time to decide’.

The GMC’s been asking registered doctors to confirm whether they wish to hold registration with a licence or registration without a licence when the scheme begins on 16th November 2009.

Having spoken to people in the GMC in Wales, apparently more than half the doctors on the medical register have now confirmed what they would like their status to be from November. So the focus of the next phase of the campaign is on those who’ve not yet made their licensing decision. A letter going out to these doctors over the next few weeks will ask them to confirm their choice before Friday 14th August, so time is fast running out.

There is also a new website called Licensing help, which you might find useful to take a look at. It features cases studies of doctors in different professional situations, as well as support from senior figures within the medical profession, who’ve already made their licensing decisions.

I filled in and sent off my reply indicating my decision after the first letter I received and I have to say it was a painless process but will be a more difficult decision for some, than for others. However, it is a decision we all have to make.

Notifying members of the GMC’s new campaign “Licensing: It’s time to decide”

We want to make our members aware of the GMC’s new campaign “Licensing: It’s time to decide”. This is being introduced this autumn.

The GMC will be writing to all registered doctors over the course of the next few weeks, asking them to decide whether or not they want a licence to practise

After licensing is introduced, doctors wishing to undertake any form of medical practice for which the UK law currently requires GMC registration - such as writing prescriptions, and signing death and cremation certificates - will need to be both registered AND, hold a licence to practise.

More information about this is available on the GMC website - www.gmc-uk.org

Reminder about the GMC’s Specialist Register and the restoration of the Existing Specialist Route

I blogged on a letter from the GMC about its Specialist Register and the restoration of the Existing Specialist Route back in January, but I think it’s probably just worth bringing it to members’ attention again.

The contents of a letter are as follows;

Eligibility for Inclusion on the GMC Specialist Register: restoration of the Existing Specialist Route

Since 1 January 1997 it has been a legal requirement that, in order to take up -as opposed to continuing to be employed in -a consultant post (other than a locum
consultant appointment) in a medical or surgical specialty in the UK health service, a doctor must be included in the GMC's Specialist Register.

When the legislation was introduced to create the Specialist Register, those who were already consultants were entitled to apply for specialist registration by virtue of their status as 'existing specialists'. However, later legislation introduced in 2003 prevented those who had not already applied as 'existing specialists' from doing so without being able to demonstrate that their past specialist training and/or qualifications met the present standards required for the award of a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT).

This mechanism was never intended for established senior consultants who are already in post and quickly proved to be inappropriate for specialists whose training had been undertaken so long ago. These changes in legislation have left a small number of consultants in a position where they are either unable to move posts or with a straightforward means to have their names included in the Specialist Register.

Earlier this year the Government consulted on proposals to amend the relevant legislation which would enable the restoration of the existing specialist route; Parliament has now agreed this change and the GMC has consulted on a scheme for the registration of persons who were consultants before 1 January 1997.

The scheme will come into force on 2 March. If you are aware of any consultants (other than locums) who were appointed in the National Health Service or the Armed Forces on or before 1 January 1997, who are not currently included in the Specialist Register, we would be grateful if you could draw their attention to the scheme,

Expressions of interest in taking advantage of the scheme can be made by emailing the GMC at pre1997scheme@gmc-uk.org.

Information about Eligibility for Inclusion on the GMC Specialist Register: restoration of the Existing Specialist Route

Below are the contents of a letter from the GMC about its Specialist Register and the restoration of the Existing Specialist Route. The BMA is trying to circulate this to members as widely as possible, as I am aware that some members may not know about this or have been “caught out” previously.

Eligibility for Inclusion on the GMC Specialist Register: restoration of the Existing Specialist Route

Since 1 January 1997 it has been a legal requirement that, in order to take up -as opposed to continuing to be employed in -a consultant post (other than a locum
consultant appointment) in a medical or surgical specialty in the UK health service, a doctor must be included in the GMC's Specialist Register.

When the legislation was introduced to create the Specialist Register, those who were already consultants were entitled to apply for specialist registration by virtue of their status as 'existing specialists'. However, later legislation introduced in 2003 prevented those who had not already applied as 'existing specialists' from doing so without being able to demonstrate that their past specialist training and/or qualifications met the present standards required for the award of a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT).

This mechanism was never intended for established senior consultants who are already in post and quickly proved to be inappropriate for specialists whose training had been undertaken so long ago. These changes in legislation have left a small number of consultants in a position where they are either unable to move posts or with a straightforward means to have their names included in the Specialist Register.

Earlier this year the Government consulted on proposals to amend the relevant legislation which would enable the restoration of the existing specialist route; Parliament has now agreed this change and the GMC has consulted on a scheme for the registration of persons who were consultants before 1 January 1997.

The scheme will come into force on 2 March. If you are aware of any consultants (other than locums) who were appointed in the National Health Service or the Armed Forces on or before 1 January 1997, who are not currently included in the Specialist Register, we would be grateful if you could draw their attention to the scheme,

Expressions of interest in taking advantage of the scheme can be made by emailing the GMC at pre1997scheme@gmc-uk.org.