Good medical practice by GMC

This is just a note. Kindly refer to the original article. 

Good medical practice by GMC

•  Professionalism in action

•  Domain 1: Knowledge, skills, and performance

•  Domain 2: Safety and quality

•  Domain 3: Communication, partnership, and teamwork

•  Domain 4: Maintaining trust

Source: General Medical Council (2013).

What is " you must" and "you should"? 

General Medical Council – Working with doctors Working for patients

• Professionalism in action

o Competent, keep knowledge and skills up to date

o Respect the right of patient

o Able to justify your decisions and actions

• Domain 1: Knowledge, skills, and performance

o Must be competent in all aspects of your work (management, research, teaching)

o Must regularly take part in activities that maintain and develop your competence and performance

o Should willing to take part in structural support, eg mentoring

o Must be familiar with guideline

o Must take steps to monitor and improve the quality of your work

o Must provide a good standard of practice and care (assess patient, advice, investigation, treatment, referral)

o Must avoid providing medical care to yourself or anyone with whom you have a closed personal relationship

o Must be satisfied that you have consent or any valid authority before carrying out examination/ investigation/ treatment/research

o Must use good resources available to you

o Documents must be clear, accurate, legible. Should record events as soon as afterward.

o Must keep records containing personal information securely

o Clinical records should include (who and when making a record): relevant clinical findings, decision made and actions agreed (who is making), the information is given to patients, drug/ investigations/treatment

• Domain 2: Safety and quality

o Must take part in systems of quality assurance and quality improvements to promote patient safety. (take part in audit, regularly reflecting on your standard of care, review patient feedback)

o To keep patient safe, you must: confidential inquires/ adverse event recognition/ report adverse incidents/ report suspected adverse drug reactions/ responds to requests from organizations monitoring public health

o Must promote and encourage a culture that allows all staff to raise concern openly and safely

o Must take prompt action if you think that patient safety, dignity or comfort is or may be seriously compromised

o If you have concerns that a colleague may not be fit to practice and maybe put patients at risk, you must ask for advice from a colleague, your defense body. Must report if you still have concerns with a colleague not fit to practice.

o Must offer help if emergencies arise in clinical settings or in the community (take account of your safety, competence, and options available)

o Should consider the needs and welfare of the vulnerable adults or children as patients (abused or denied)

o Must consult a suitably qualified colleague if you suspect that you have a serious condition that could pass on to patient/ your judgment or performance could be affected by a condition

o Should immunized against common serious communicable disease unless contraindicated

o Should be registered with a GP outside your family.

• Domain 3: Communication, partnership, and teamwork

o Must listen to patient, take their views, respond honestly

o Must give information that they want/ need to know

o Should make arrangements to meet patient language and communication needs

o Must considerate to those close to patient and be sensitive and responsive in giving them information and support

o Must be readily accessible to patient and colleagues seeking information/advice/ support (WHEN you are on duty)

o Must treat colleagues fairly and with respect

o Must be aware how your behavior may influence others within and outside the team

o Must take up any post you have formally accepted, and work your contractual notice period before leaving a job unless the employer has reasonable time to make other arrangements.

o Must be honest and objective when writing references

o Must contribute to the safe transfer of patients between healthcare providers (share relevant information with colleagues)

o With patient: Must -polite, considerate, respect their dignity, privacy, fairly, respect their choice and beliefs, work in partnership with patients (decision about their care), empower them

o Must keep confidential, even after a patient has died

o If patient object a procedure, MUST tell them about their right to see another doctor, make sure their have enough information to exercise their right

• Domain 4: Maintaining trust

o Must not use professional position to pursue a sexual/ emotional relationship

o Must not express your personal beliefs

o Must be open and honest with patient if things go wrong

▪ You should put the matter right, offer an apology, explain fully and promptly what has happened and then likely short and long term effects

o Must give priority to patients on the basis of their clinical need within your power

o Must not deny treatment to patient because their medical condition may put you at risk

o Must not unfairly discriminate against patient/ colleague by personal view

o Must respond promptly, fully and honestly to complaints and apologize when appropriate

o Should end a professional relationship with a patient only when breakdown trust

o Must make sure you have adequate insurance or indemnity cover

o Must give information of registered name/GMC reference number if someone you have contact with in your professional role ask for it

o Must take reasonable steps to check information is correct - when writing reports and when completing or signing forms

o Must tell GMC without any delay if, anywhere in world: you accepted a caution from the police/ official inquiry/ charged/ found guilty of a criminal offense/ another professional body has made a finding against your registration as a result of fitness to practice procedures -→ must inform your organization

o Must not ask for accept (patient/ colleague/ others) for any inducement/ gift/ hospitality

Source: General Medical Council (2013). Available on https://www.gmc-uk.org/-/media/documents/good-medical-practice---english-20200128_pdf-51527435.pdf. Accessed: 8th February 2022.