General Medical Council (Hansard, 19 February 1990)

§ Mr. Hoyle
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has on the fees incurred by an individual bringing a case to the General Medical Council.

§ Mr. Freeman
Individual complainants are required to provide the GMC with a sworn statement of evidence in support of their complaint and have to pay the legal fees involved. For any subsequent disciplinary action the GMC offers complainants the services of its solicitor free of charge. Complainants who choose to use their own solicitors will normally be reimbursed part of their legal costs by the GMC.

§ Mr. Hoyle
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has on the procedures operated by the General Medical Council if a general practitioner is referred to the council by both an individual and his Department.

§ Mr. Freeman
In such circumstances, I understand that the GMC will normally take action on the referral from the Department which contains the evidence which has already been established against a doctor.

§ Mr. Hoyle
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the procedure for ordering a second hearing of a case before the General Medical Council.

§ Mr. Freeman
Statutory Instrument 1988 No. 2255 governs the procedures to be adopted by the GMC in respect of disciplinary hearings. As the council is responsible for implementing these procedures I suggest the information requested is sought from it.

§ Mr. Hoyle
To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has a policy of giving way to an individual when both wish to proceed with a case to the General Medical Council; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Freeman
There is a long-standing arrangement under which the Department sends the General Medical Council information on cases which have a bearing on a practitioner's professional conduct. The Department does not act as a complainant or make a formal reference to the General Medical Council—it merely passes on the information in its possession. Any action taken on this information is a matter entirely for the General Medical Council. The Department is not a party to that action.