Subject: FOR INFO: Today's media articles on doctors across Europe
From: "Nicola While" <[email-masked]>
To: "Nicola While" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 2 Oct 2025 14:32:53 +0300

Dear colleagues, 

Today, in the UK,
<https://www.thetimes.com/article/bd219549-583c-4943-8160-c2dd78990fc8?sha
reToken=ab0054cb595e0c1e407a70a06cc6f5f2> The Times published an article
about doctors who are registered in the UK and have sanctions or alleged
criminal convictions from other countries. 

A
<https://www.occrp.org/en/project/bad-practice/system-failure-banned-docto
rs-can-easily-move-across-europe-leaving-patients-vulnerable> more
detailed piece about doctors with regulatory / criminal sanctions moving
across jurisdictions worldwide has also been published on the website of
the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project. There is also an
<https://www.ftm.eu/articles/struck-off-but-still-practising-disgraced-doc
tors-exploit-eu-loopholes?share=dK2pI4gxxWvCl%2BJv2GWDDtL2Oi4ve8KDLYAmRQRX
uixi3lwUOCYuAXCLTHeQh4s%3D> article on the Follow the Money website. Both
articles mention the EU's IMI information sharing tool and contain
examples of over 100 doctors from across the EU. 

We understand that these articles are three of several pieces published by
media in different countries across the world about individual doctors and
regulatory approaches to information sharing.  

The GMC's latest statement in response to The Times article is below. This
explains the steps with take to check doctors' fitness to practice
information and the actions we take to share information with other
jurisdictions.  

If there has been similar coverage in your country, we would be grateful
if you could share it with us together with any statement you have issued
to the press. 

We plan to add this issue to the agenda of the next ENMCA meeting.  

Many thanks, 

Nicola

Nicola While

Strategic Engagement Manager

General Medical Council

Email:  <mailto:[email-masked]> [email-masked]

Telephone: +44 7825 144632

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

A spokesperson for the General Medical Council, said: 

'We take our role protecting patients extremely seriously. 

'We were instrumental in establishing the EU's fitness-to-practise
information-sharing system in 2013, and although Brexit ended our access,
we continue to proactively share information extensively with regulators
overseas, including in the EU, where we have taken action against doctors
registered with us.  
 
'We also routinely receive information from overseas regulators including
by way of the Physician Information Exchange which has been developed by
the International Association of Medical Regulatory Authorities (IAMRA).
We also always actively seek information from overseas regulators when
doctors who have been working in other countries apply to register with
us.  

'Doctors wishing to gain registration should also be under no illusion
about their duty and responsibility to tell us about anything that might
affect their ability to practise safely in the UK - our professional
guidance makes this very clear. 

'We will continue to review each case carefully and thoroughly and, where
doctors are registered with us, decide what action we might need to take.'

 

 

General Medical Council

We work with doctors, physician associates (PAs), anaesthesia associates
(AAs), those they care for and other stakeholders to support good, safe
patient care across the UK. We set the standards doctors, PAs, AAs and
their educators need to meet, and help them achieve them. If there are
concerns these standards may not be met or that public confidence in
doctors, PAs or AAs may be at risk, we can investigate, and take action if
needed.

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The General Medical Council is a charity registered in England and Wales
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You are welcome to contact us in Welsh. We will respond in Welsh, without
this causing additional delay.

_________________________________________________________________

Y Cyngor Meddygol Cyffredinol

Rydym yn gweithio gyda meddygon, cymdeithion meddygol (PA), cymdeithion
anesthesia (AA), y rhai y maent yn gofalu amdanynt a rhanddeiliaid eraill
i gefnogi gofal da a diogel i gleifion ledled y DU. Rydym yn gosod y
safonau y mae angen i feddygon, cymdeithion meddygol, cymdeithion
anesthesia a'u haddysgwyr eu bodloni, ac yn eu helpu i'w cyrraedd. Os oes
pryderon na fydd y safonau hyn yn cael eu bodloni o bosibl, neu y gallai
hyder y cyhoedd mewn meddygon, cymdeithion meddygol neu gymdeithion
anesthesia fod mewn perygl, gallwn ymchwilio, a chymryd camau os oes
angen.

Efallai fod y neges e-bost hon yn cynnwys gwybodaeth freiniol neu
gyfrinachol, y dylid ei defnyddio at y diben cafodd ei hanfon ar ei gyfer
yn unig.

Os nad chi sydd i fod i'w dderbyn, neu os ydych chi wedi cael yr e-bost
hwn mewn camgymeriad, peidiwch a'i ddarllen, ei argraffu, ei
ail-drosglwyddo, ei storio na gweithredu gan ddibynnu ar y neges nac
unrhyw atodiadau. Anfonwch yr e-bost at yr anfonwr ac yna ei ddileu ar
unwaith. 

Mae'r Cyngor Meddygol Cyffredinol yn elusen gofrestredig yng Nghymru a
Lloegr (1089278) ac yn yr Alban (SC037750)

Mae croeso i chi gysylltu a ni yn Gymraeg. Byddwn ni'n ymateb yn Gymraeg,
heb i hyn achosi oedi ychwanegol.