This decision follows concerns from DAUK, the British Medical Association (BMA) and others that the original consultation presented the recommendations of the Lord Mann Review in a misleading and legally flawed way.

DAUK acted before the original consultation deadline.

On 9 June, solicitors acting for DAUK, Leigh Day, wrote to the Secretary of State for Health and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) seeking a one-month extension to the consultation.

Lord Mann Review

The request highlighted that Lord Mann’s Review had been published on 4 June, leaving doctors and representative organisations less than three weeks to consider its recommendations before the consultation was due to close on 23 June.

DHSC initially refused DAUK’s request for a formal extension, although it agreed that DAUK could submit further material concerning the Mann Review by 30 June.

The Government later revised its position, extending the consultation by four weeks to 21 July.

However, DAUK made clear that an extension alone could not correct the underlying problem with the consultation.

Withdrawn and reissued

On 29 June, Leigh Day wrote again on our behalf, arguing that the consultation remained misleading and calling for the sections dealing with the GMC’s appeal powers to be withdrawn and reissued.

DAUK has worked closely with other representatives of the medical profession during this process and supported the legal challenge brought by the BMA.

DAUK’s draft consultation response and legal position were informed by detailed work from our members, and we will refine this further for the new consultation.

The Government has now confirmed that it will consult again on the proposals, a decision DAUK believes is welcome and necessary. It also demonstrates the impact that coordinated legal, professional and public pressure can have.

DAUK continues to oppose the GMC retaining a separate right to appeal MPTS decisions.

Independent oversight

The Professional Standards Authority already provides independent oversight and has its own power to challenge decisions.

Giving the GMC an overlapping appeal power risks undermining the independence of the tribunal system and perpetuating the mistrust identified following the case of Dr Hadiza Bawa-Garba.

Dr Matt Kneale, DAUK co-chair, said: “The government initially rejected DAUK’s request for a proper extension, before extending the consultation for everyone and now accepting that it must consult again

“That sequence shows why it was essential for doctors’ organisations to challenge this process.

“DAUK was clear that additional time alone would not cure a consultation that presented the arguments unfairly.

Collaborative work

“Through our legal team, our consultation response, and our work alongside the BMA, we helped maintain the pressure for the affected proposals to be withdrawn and reconsidered.

“This is an important result for doctors, patients and fair regulation.

“We will continue to argue that independent oversight should rest with the Professional Standards Authority, rather than allowing the GMC to act as investigator, prosecutor and appellant.”

We are a non-profit campaigning and lobbying organisation led by frontline doctors, for frontline doctors. We are volunteers and our collective aim is to give frontline workers a voice to be heard.

Please support our work by contributing to our crowd funder.

DAUK took legal advice on the Department of Health and Social Care’s consultation on the draft General Medical Council Order 2026.

The association is now weighing its position alongside the British Medical Association (BMA), which has begun legal proceedings against the government over the same issue.

The draft Order proposes preserving and widening the GMC’s right of appeal against MPTS decisions, which is a significant reversal of the policy consensus reached after the Bawa-Garba case.

Williams Review

Following the independent Williams Review in 2018, the government accepted that the GMC’s right of appeal against MPTS decisions should be removed, in order to strengthen the independence of medical adjudication and rebuild doctors’ trust in the regulator. The draft Order abandons that commitment.

DAUK also shares the BMA’s concern that the consultation misrepresents the findings of Lord Mann’s review and fails to give consultees enough information to respond meaningfully – raising questions about whether the consultation process is lawful.

DAUK co-chair Dr Matt Kneale said: “Eight years ago, after the Williams Review, the government accepted that the GMC should lose its power to appeal tribunal decisions – the very power used against Dr Bawa-Garba, which did such lasting damage to doctors’ trust in the GMC.

Broken promise

“For ministers now to quietly retain and even extend that power, through a consultation that doctors say misrepresents the evidence and gives them too little to respond to, breaks that promise.

“We have taken legal advice and, alongside the BMA, we are actively considering our next steps.”

Meanwhile, DAUK has joined 12 other medical organisations urging the government to reconsider its plan to retain the GMC’s right to appeal the decisions of its own tribunal service.

Coalition of medical organisations

In a joint letter to Minister of State for Health, Karin Smyth MP, the coalition argues the GMC’s right of appeal risks seriously undermining the profession’s and the public’s trust in the independence of the tribunal process, and the regulator itself.

Read more about the coalition’s calls.

We are a non-profit campaigning and lobbying organisation led by frontline doctors, for frontline doctors. We are volunteers and our collective aim is to give frontline workers a voice to be heard.

Please support our work by contributing to our crowd funder.

Under the Government’s current proposals, the GMC would retain its ability to appeal decisions made by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) and gain additional powers to appeal interim decisions.

The move to keep the GMC’s right of appeal goes against reviews by Sir Norman Williams and Dr Leslie Hamilton – which both recommended its removal in favour of a single, independent route held by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).

These recommendations were supported by the then government and the GMC.

Public trust

In a joint letter to Minister of State for Health, Karin Smyth MP, coordinated by the Medical Protection Society (MPS), the coalition argues the GMC’s right of appeal risks seriously undermining the profession’s and the public’s trust in the independence of the tribunal process, and the regulator itself.

The letter also states that ‘providing both the GMC and the PSA with parallel rights of appeal creates unnecessary duplication, inconsistency, and complexity to the regulatory system’.

It quotes evidence from a Freedom of Information request by MPS which shows that 88 per cent of PSA appeals have been successful since 2016, compared with 70% for the GMC over the same period, rejecting the argument that the GMC’s right should stand due to its high record of successful appeals.

Independent oversight

“This demonstrates that an additional, overlapping GMC right of appeal is unnecessary given the existence of an established and effective independent oversight mechanism through the PSA,” the letter says.

The letter was signed by: Medical Protection Society, British Medical Association, Doctors Association UK, Association of Anaesthetists, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, Royal Medical Benevolent Fund, British International Doctors Association, Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine, Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association, Medical Women’s Federation, The Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland and the Medical Defence Union.

Read the letter in full.

We are a non-profit campaigning and lobbying organisation led by frontline doctors, for frontline doctors. We are volunteers and our collective aim is to give frontline workers a voice to be heard.

Please support our work by contributing to our crowd funder.

DAUK warned the proposals go against the Williams review and would ‘dismay doctors across the country’.

It said the timing of the announced reforms was ‘troubling’, coming as the GMC appeals the clearance of Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah.

Dismay doctors

Dr Matt Kneale, DAUK co-chair, said: “Doctors across the country will be dismayed that the government has abandoned the cross-profession consensus established by the Williams review.

“We were promised the GMC would lose its power to appeal its own tribunal’s decisions.

“Instead, this consultation retains that power and creates new ones. At a time when the GMC is actively appealing the clearance of a doctor found to have committed no misconduct, the timing could not be more troubling.

“The framing of this announcement – as though the GMC has been too slow to punish doctors – ignores everything we know about how the GMC operates.

NHS Staff Survey results

“Its own data shows ethnic minority doctors are disproportionately referred.

“The recently-published NHS Staff Survey shows one in 10 doctors were physically attacked at work.

“The safety crisis in the NHS is not that doctors are getting away with misconduct.

“It is that doctors are being attacked, burned out and driven from the profession while a regulator with a proven track record of bias is handed yet more power.”

Human impact

DAUK also pointed to the human impact of the current regulatory process. The GMC’s own rolling three-year data shows that 36 doctors died while under investigation or being monitored between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2023. The GMC reported fewer than three suicides to protect individual identification.

Dr Shonnelly Novintan, DAUK’s Learn Not Blame lead, said: “The framing of the reforms focus on individual doctors rather than addressing systemic pressures, and this contributes to a worsening blame culture at a time when doctors under investigation already face high suicide rates.”

The reforms, the Government said, are a major modernisation of medical regulation, describing them as the most significant changes since 1983.

Rapid review

They follow a rapid review conducted by Lord John Mann into antisemitism and other forms of racism in the health service.

Alongside wider proposals, the Government is consulting on the first tranche of recommendations from Lord Mann’s review.

The GMC Order will consult on delivering these recommendations into law, introducing three key changes:

• The GMC will retain its existing right to appeal decisions made by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) to the courts.
• The Professional Standards Authority (PSA) will receive new powers to challenge interim decisions made by the MPTS, and the GMC will receive equivalent powers.
• Regulators will be required to share information with the PSA when requested.

Charlie Massey, GMC chief executive and registrar, said: “This is an important and long-awaited step towards a more responsive and compassionate approach to healthcare regulation.”

We are a non-profit campaigning and lobbying organisation led by frontline doctors, for frontline doctors. We are volunteers and our collective aim is to give frontline workers a voice to be heard.

Please support our work by contributing to our crowd funder.

Whistleblower protections

Abolishing the National Guardian’s Office (NGO) — the only dedicated NHS body for supporting whistleblowers and embedding a ‘speak up’ culture — risks further silencing the clinicians who raise alarms about patient harm. The idea that app-based patient feedback can substitute robust, independent safety structures is not only reductive but dangerously naïve. DAUK has long supported NHS whistleblowers who have faced retaliation, career derailment, and mental health crises after exposing unsafe care. It is profoundly disheartening that no replacement framework for supporting staff who speak up appears to have been announced alongside the abolition of the NGO.

Learn not blame

Equally troubling is the closure of the HSSIB. The HSSIB is an organisation with a statutory remit to conduct independent, learning-based safety investigations without blame. This loss risks taking the NHS backwards to a time when system failures were buried rather than understood. Health Secretary Wes Streeting says these reforms will “hold a megaphone up to patients’ lips.” But we ask: who will be holding the megaphone for staff — especially those raising uncomfortable truths about failing services or leadership malpractice? We therefore call on the Government to urgently clarify: What new, independent structure will protect NHS staff who speak up about unsafe care, discrimination, or malpractice? How patient safety investigations will be preserved with the loss of HSSIB’s statutory function?

Safeguards

What safeguards will exist to ensure this reform does not weaken NHS transparency or accountability? DAUK supports reforms that genuinely streamline care and empower patients and staff alike. But stripping out safety oversight without clear replacements is not reform, it is risk. We urge the Government to meet with frontline representatives, including whistleblowers and patient safety advocates, before pressing ahead. Support our work by becoming a member or donating to our Go Fund Me.

Jenny Vaughan Memorial Conference

DAUK chair Ms Helen Fernandes said: “Thank you to everyone who made our inaugural conference such a success. “It was a day to be inspired by the presentations and discussions, and also by the enthusiasm and commitment of our members. “We have a lot of work to do. “Doctors and the NHS are under more pressure than ever. “But the conference demonstrated the power of collaboration and has certainly given me a renewed sense of purpose.” One delegate said it was ‘one the most enjoyable conferences I have attended’. Another said ‘congratulations on an excellent mix of highly informative sessions’.

Huge success

One delegate told us ‘excellent speakers, motivating and empowering’. Another said ‘it was a huge success’, while one simply said ‘I am not alone’. We’ve created a gallery of photos from the day. It was opened by Dr David Sellu, who talked about his life story and Dr Vaughan’s involvement in the quashing of his conviction for gross negligence manslaughter. We heard from Dr Richard Marks, chair of Anaesthetists United, in the week the organisation started its legal challenge against the GMC over the regulation of physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs).

Physician associates

Dr Marks was taking part in a panel discussion on PAs and AAs. Chaired by DAUK’s Dr David Nicholl, it also featured former DAUK chair Dr Matt Kneale; consultant orthopaedic surgeon Professor Scarlett McNally; and Janet Eastham, the Telegraph’s social and religious affairs editor, who has reported extensively on PAs. DAUK sustainability lead Dr Matt Lee talked about the health impact of climate change and our work in this area. Dr Shireen Kassam, consultant haematologist and honorary senior lecturer at King’s College Hospital, discussed plant-based eating for health and the planet.

Media panel

A panel discussion helping to demystify working with and in the media was really well received. It featured contributions from Emma Wilkinson, vice-chair of the Medical Journalists’ Association; GP and media medic Dr Punam Krishan; and GP, broadcaster, and campaigner Dr Anita Raja. The discussion covered whistleblowing, misinformation, and how to build a media or social media presence. Prof McNally delivered a brilliant, quick-fire presentation on how to save the NHS. The morning session was brought to a close by the hilarious award-winning comedian Dr Benji Waterhouse.

Law theme

There was a law theme to the second half of the day. Esteemed barrister Imran Khan KC spoke on the experience of injustice. A talk on fitness to practise and freedom of speech by Andrea James, a legal expert in professional discipline and healthcare regulatory law, was really well received. A presentation on fitness to practise myth busting by the GMC’s Dr Andrew Hoyle was followed by a lively Q&A. DAUK’s GP committee members highlighted their work on behalf of general practice and the relationships they are building with other organisations.

Prize winner

Dr Neena Jha was the winner of the Jenny Vaughan Memorial Prize for her poem Who failed them?. Read more about the prize and Dr Jha’s poem. NHS palliative care doctor and acclaimed author Dr Rachel Clarke brought the day to a fitting close with a brilliant talk on ‘Kindwashing and other bad medicine’. Dr Clarke took to social media after the conference to discuss her speech. She said: “Huge thanks to the DAUK for inviting me to give the closing keynote of the Jenny Vaughan Memorial Conference. “I spoke on a subject dear to my heart – the insidious ‘kindwashing’ of UK medicine.” Please support our work by joining DAUK or donating to our GoFundMe.

Tickets

The last few tickets for the in-person conference are available. Register here to join the conference online. Dr Vaughan was made an OBE in 2022 for her work, particularly in supporting doctors convicted of gross negligence manslaughter. They include Dr David Sellu, who will open a packed conference programme with a talk about Dr Vaughan. It will be followed by a panel discussion on physician associates in the NHS. This will be chaired by DAUK’s Dr David Nicholl. It will feature former DAUK chair Dr Matt Kneale; Anaesthetists United chair Dr Richard Marks; consultant orthopaedic surgeon Professor Scarlett McNally; and Janet Eastham, the Telegraph’s social and religious affairs editor, who has reported extensively on physician associates. Dr Shireen Kassam, consultant haematologist and honorary senior lecturer at King’s College Hospital, will discuss plant-based eating for health and the planet.

Panel discussion

A media panel will feature Emma Wilkinson, vice-chair of the Medical Journalists’ Association, GP and media medic Dr Punam Krishan, and GP, broadcaster, and campaigner Dr Anita Raja. Prof McNally will talk about how to save the NHS before consultant psychiatrist Dr Benji Waterhouse will join remotely to perform his award-winning comedy. The afternoon session will start with Imran Khan KC speaking on the experience of injustice. Andrea James, a legal expert in professional discipline and healthcare regulatory law, will talk about fitness to practise and freedom of speech. GMC fitness to practise myth busting and compassionate regulation is the topic for the GMC’s Dr Andrew Hoyle.

Conference

A discussion on general practice in 2025 will be facilitated by DAUK’s GP committee followed by a presentation on Threads of Survival. Dr Rachel Clarke, NHS palliative care doctor and acclaimed author, will close the day. She will talk about the impact of Covid, and maintaining meaning and reward in medicine. The conference is free for DAUK members. We’re encouraging non-members to join DAUK or support our mission with a donation to our GoFundMe. Please support our work. Register here to join the conference online.