Version 1 (Released 7 October 2009). Contents of presentation The introduction of licences to...

Version 1 (Released 7 October 2009)

Contents of presentation

The introduction of licences to practise

Changes to the online Register and certificates

Sharing information with the NHS and other organisations

More information

The introduction of licences to practise

The licence to practise From Monday 16 November 2009, all UK practising doctors will need, by law, to be registered with a licence to practise.

The licence will give the same legal privileges that are currently restricted to registered doctors.

The principal currency of doctors’ GMC status will be the licence to practise.

The licence is dependent on registration.

The licence is the first step towards the introduction of revalidation.

Licensing All new registrants will be granted a licence.

All doctors restored to the register following removal for reasons unconnected with fitness to practise, will automatically be granted a licence, unless they request otherwise.

The current circumstances in which registration may be withdrawn continue, for example, failure to pay the annual fee, GMC fitness to practise actions.

When registration is withdrawn, the licence is automatically withdrawn.

Understanding licensing

Registration with a licence

Registration without a licence

Legally able to practise Yes No Subject to revalidation, when it is introduced

Yes No

Required to followed Good Medical Practice

Yes Yes

Subject to GMC Fitness to Practise actions

Yes Yes

Implementing licensing All registered doctors are entitled to a licence.

The GMC has asked doctors to confirm whether they want a licence. The decision they make will be affected by:

Legal requirements Contractual requirements Personal choice

Over 95%* of doctors on the register (n=209,000) have now confirmed their decision with the GMC. Around 95% of these doctors have said they wish to be registered with a licence.

The GMC has written to confirm doctors’ licensing decision.

After 16 November, the GMC will write to all registered doctors to confirm their new GMC status.

* Information correct as of 2 October 2009.

Changes to the online Register and certificates

Developing the online Register

The online Register will be updated on 16 November 2009.

From this date it will distinguish between doctors who are:

Registered with a licence to practise; or Registered without a licence to practise.

Employers should check, as now, that doctors hold appropriate registration.

The ESR system (in England and Wales) and SWISS (in Scotland) will also be updated on 16 November 2009.

How the online Register will show that a doctor is registered with a licence to practise (from 16 November 2009)

How the online Register will show that a doctor is registered without a licence to practise (from 16 November 2009)

Other changes to the online Register

From Monday 16 November 2009…

New multiple search functionEmployers will be able to check the registration details of up to 10 doctors at a time.

Annual retention fee (ARF) due date This will be displayed on the ‘Information for employers’ page associated with a doctor’s record; and in the ‘print view’ of a record.

New multiple search function (available from 16 November)

New multiple search function

Annual retention fee due date: how this will be displayed from 16 November 2009 onwards

Annual retention fee due date: how this will appear in the ‘print view’ of a doctor’s record

GMC certificates

Certificates do not constitute a guarantee that a doctor is currently registered.

Certificates are not proof of identity.

The online Register (the List of Registered Medical Practitioners) provides up to the minute information about a doctor’s registration.

There will be a number of changes to certificates from 16 November 2009.

Some certificates are required under The Medical Act 1983.

Changes to GMC certificates when licensing is introduced

Certificate of provisional registration and first full registration

(required by The Medical Act 1983) – no change.

The Annual Registration Certificate – will be replaced with an annual retention fee confirmation letter.

The certified copy of a doctor’s entry - will be discontinued from 13 November 2009 and replaced from 16 November with a new Proof of Entry on the Register letter.

The certificate of first full registration will continue

The current Annual Registration Certificate (ARC) will be replaced by…

…An annual retention fee confirmation letter

The current certified copy of an entry will be replaced by…

…A new Proof of Entry on the Register letter

Sharing information with the NHS and other organisations

Sharing information with the NHS

The GMC works in partnership with the NHS to add up-to-date registration information to their personnel databases.

We have arrangements in place with: The Electronic Staff Record system (ESR) in England and Wales The Scottish Workforce Information Standard System (SWISS) in Scotland.

The GMC does not have arrangements in place with the NHS in Northern Ireland yet, however, discussions are under way.

Sharing information with ESR

The ESR/GMC interface provides an overview of a doctor’s registration status as well as background registration information.

The system sends alerts to designated Trust contacts when a doctor’s registration status changes.

The interface will reflect licensing changes.

Sharing information with SWISS

SWISS contains a professional regulators section.

SWISS colleagues will ensure that Scottish NHS Boards will be given post-licensing information on 16 November.

In due course the professional regulators section will be populated with post-licensing GMC data.

In the interim, Boards must ensure that they keep their data up-to-date and SWISS colleagues will be happy to assist with this.

Sharing information with other organisations

Most organisations will use the GMC’s website to check a doctor’s registration status following the implementation of licensing (www.gmc-uk.org/register).

This service has been enhanced. It will now be possible to check ten doctors’ records at one time.

New data has also been added to the results page including “expiry” date.

LRMP Download Service

Large organisations (100+ doctors) may wish to download the entire online register as a single “CSV” file.

The file contains all publicly available LRMP data.

The file is updated daily and will contain the post-licensing values from 16 November.

The service is available on a subscription basis.

LRMP Download Service

The file can be imported into existing systems.

In order to do this, organisations must already hold their doctors’ GMC Reference numbers to perform a correct match.

More information, including the file structure, is available at www.gmc-uk.org/lrmpdownload.

More informationIf you would like more information about licensing or have a question about this change in medical regulation, please visit www.gmc-uk.org/licensing or email licensing@gmc-uk.org