Website
of the UK General Medical Council, GMC, the professional body that =
regulates
the UK medical profession.=20
See :- http://www.gmc-uk.org/news/4980.asp
***********************************************
More than 218,000 doctors now have a Licence to Practise
Press Release
16 Nov 2009
Doctors in the UK are making history today as the biggest change in =
medical
regulation since the first medical register was published 150 years ago =
is
rolled out. The successful start to licensing is a major milestone =
towards
the introduction of revalidation. Professor Peter Rubin, Chair of the =
GMC
From today in order to practise medicine in the UK, a doctor will have =
to be
registered with the GMC and have a licence to practise.=20
218,153 doctors have a licence to practise in the UK. Professor Peter =
Rubin,
Chair of the GMC explained: "The successful start to licensing is a =
major
milestone towards the introduction of revalidation, a new process by =
which
doctors will have to regularly demonstrate to the GMC that they remain =
up to
date and fit to practise in the job they do." Chief Medical Officer Sir =
Liam
Donaldson said: "I welcome the introduction of the licence to practise =
by
the GMC.=A0 It is an important prerequisite for the introduction of
revalidation, and a clear signal that revalidation is on its way. "I
congratulate the GMC on its successful communication with the profession
about this important change, with a 97% response rate from doctors on
whether they wish to take a licence or not." Licensing has implications =
for
patients, doctors and their employers:
Patients
=95 The law requires that any doctor who treats patients must be =
registered
with a licence to practise
=95 Only doctors registered with a licence to practise can write =
prescriptions
or sign death certificates
=95 Doctors who hold registration but not a licence are more likely to =
be
working as an academic or outside the UK, for example, but cannot =
undertake
any of the activities for which the law requires them to hold a licence =
to
practise.
Doctors
=95 A doctor must have a licence in order to legally practise medicine; =
being
registered with the GMC is no longer enough.
=95 A licence to practise will give a doctor practising in the UK the =
legal
authority to write prescriptions, sign death certificates and exercise a
wide range of other legal 'privileges'. This applies to all doctors =
working
in the UK, whether working in the NHS or the independent sector, either =
on a
permanent or locum basis.
Employers
=95 Employers of doctors must ensure that the doctors they employ have a
licence to practise if their work requires them to do so.
If anyone has any queries about the licence to practise they can contact =
the
GMC on licensing@gmc-uk.org or=20
visit http://www.gmc-uk.org/doctors/licensing/faq/index.asp for our
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
-ENDS-
For further information please contact the Media Relations Office on 020
7189 5454, out of hours 020 7189 5444, fax 020 7189 5401, email
press@gmc-uk.org, website http://www.gmc-uk.org.
=A0
Notes to Editors:
1.=A0The use of the title 'doctor' is not protected in law to those who =
hold a
medical qualification. The title can be used by any doctor included =
those
who have retired or who are no longer practising.=A0 A doctor can sign
passport photographs regardless of whether they hold registration.
2.=A0It is illegal for anyone to present themselves as a registered =
medical
practitioner, either with or without a licence, if this is not the case.
=A0=A0
3.=A0Anyone can check a doctors' registration status on the GMC's newly
relaunched website http://www.gmc-uk.org/ and searching on the List of
Registered Medical Practitioners (LRMP).
4.=A0A doctor's GMC reference number is issued when they first register =
with
the GMC. This will not change if they hold a licence; and they will not =
be
issued with any other number in respect of the licence to practise. The
reference number is a unique identifier which enables anyone to confirm =
a
doctor's GMC status via the online Register or by telephoning the GMC.
5.=A0Total number of doctors holding registration with a licence by UK =
country
England=A0167,173
Northern Ireland=A06,111
Scotland=A018,867
Wales=A010,087
6.=A0Total number of doctors holding registration with a licence in =
major
cities and towns in England
London 37,043
Birmingham 7,121
Manchester 4,563
Bristol 3,454
Liverpool 3,233
Sheffield 4,658
Leeds 3,805
Nottingham 3,550
Leicester 3,340
Southampton 2,876
Brighton 2,370
Bath 1,170
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