The HCPC has responded to the Department of Health and Social Care’s (DHSC) consultation on reforming the General Medical Council (GMC) legislative framework.
We are broadly supportive of the changes set out in the draft GMC Order 2026, as the proposed regulatory reform establishes a more flexible and modern model for regulation that provides increased responsiveness to service user needs and sector changes.
In some areas we have asked for greater clarity, proposed amendments that we believe would better align with the overarching objectives of regulatory reform, and shared concerns around commencement, PSA evidence gathering and fitness to practise grounds for action.
We have framed our response in the context of wider regulatory reform to support future legislative developments. While consistency across regulatory processes is important, as the largest truly multi-professional healthcare regulator, we welcome the DHSC’s acknowledgement that bespoke measures are needed to account for the nuanced differences in context and professions of each regulator.