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Doctors who make mistakes given five year warning

Patients will be told when a doctor has been issued with a warning, which lasts for five years, by the General Medical Council (GMC).

The GMC is an independent organisation that helps to protect patients and improve medical education and practice.

A warning is designed to be a clear message that the doctor must learn from their mistake and not repeat it. In some very serious cases, the doctor's practice will be restricted to protect their patients

They set the standards that doctors need to follow and make sure they continue to meet these standards throughout their career.

Gill Edwards, senior clinical negligence solicitor at PotterReesDolan, said:

The GMC will only issue a warning if a doctor’s behaviour or performance shows a significant departure from the principles set out in their Good Medical Practice guidance for doctors. The error in behaviour or performance has to be sufficiently serious for a warning to be placed against that doctor, but the doctor is still able to practice.

In those circumstances it is appropriate that patients should be able to check the GMC register in order to make an informed choice about whether they want to be treated by a particular doctor.

You can read the full statement from the GMC about doctors remaining on the register following errors here.

Gill Edwards is a clinical negligence solicitor with PotterReesDolan. Should you have any queries about clinical negligence issues or indeed any other aspect of this article and wish to speak to Gill or any other member of the team please contact us on 0161 237 5888 or email Gill.

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