Press Round-Up: Regulatory and Professional Discipline - December 2024 - January 2025

General Medical Council

The General Medical Council has welcomed four new members to its governing body, the GMC Council. Following appointment by the Privy Council, two registrant and two lay members have been appointed - Professor Keith Lloyd, Dr Olamide Oguntimehin, Baroness Ramsey of Wall Heath, and Ms Wendy Williams CBE.

The Council is the governing body of the GMC and consists of up to six lay members and six registrant members. They set the GMC’s strategy and goals and oversee the work of the regulator, with a firm focus on its primary role of protecting the public.

The new members, who will start their roles this month, bring a wide range of experience to the GMC’s Council at a crucial time for the regulator.

Nursing & Midwifery Council

The NMC have responded to a Royal College of Nursing (RCN) report on nurses providing corridor care.  The RCN has published a report that highlights that nurses are delivering care in unsafe and overcrowded environments due to overwhelming pressures on the NHS.

The Assistant Director for the NMC has issued a response stating that the testimony shared by nursing professionals in the RCN report is profoundly concerning, noting that people receiving care in unsuitable and unsafe environments, such as corridors and converted cupboards, highlights the immense pressures on the health system. It was stated that it is unacceptable that anyone is denied dignity, safety, and proper treatment.

The NMC noted that the current conditions in health and social care are incredibly tough, and recognised the significant impact this is having on professionals. For those who feel uncertain or distressed about the care they’re able to provide, advice was given that the Code is there to guide nurse’s professional judgment, even in challenging circumstances, and that concerns are raised about only a small minority of professionals each year. Reassurance was given that if any concerns are raised, the context in which care is delivered will be considered.

General Dental Council

The General Dental Council has introduced a new policy that will give priority access to the Overseas Registration Exam (ORE) booking system for dental professionals with refugee status. Under the new policy, candidates who choose to provide evidence of their refugee status will receive priority booking for up to two attempts at both parts of the ORE, ensuring they have a fair chance to complete the registration process.

Refugee candidates will have access to a dedicated booking window before general bookings open. The priority places for refugees are expected to represent a small percentage of the overall number of seats.  

This development arises from stakeholder engagement, which revealed the multiple barriers to registration that refugees face, including difficulties accessing documentation providing evidence of their qualifications and the inability to return to their home countries to practice. Without exam places, these dental professionals cannot register to practice in the UK, potentially leading to skills degradation and financial inequality. The new policy aims to address the unique challenges these professionals face when seeking to practice dentistry in the UK.  

General Pharmaceutical Council

The GPhC has responded to issues raised about the online supply of medicines ahead of publication of updated guidance.

The Chief Strategy Officer has issued a statement requiring all pharmacies, including those operating online, to ensure that the way in which pharmacy services are delivered safeguards the health, safety and wellbeing of patients and the public. 

The GPhC has published guidance specifically for the safe and effective provision of pharmacy services at a distance which it is expected that all online pharmacies in Great Britain follow. This includes the requirement that the prescriber is expected to work within national prescribing guidelines for the UK and good practice guidance.

An updated version of the guidance is to be issued shortly, which will set out additional safeguards around high-risk medicines, including medicines used for weight management.
 

Architects Registration Board

The ARB has issued a response to a Good Law Project statement on Grenfell Architects, stating that they have been monitoring the Grenfell Tower Inquiry closely since it was established, but were obliged to wait until the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase Two Report was published before undertaking any formal investigative activities. Following the publication of that report, they advised that formal investigations have commenced into whether any architects involved in the refurbishment of the Tower might be guilty of a disciplinary offence under the Architects Code.

The ARB is sensitive to the strong public interest of taking appropriate action without delay but note that the investigations must be conducted properly if they are to be effective, and can be complex, particularly when they take place in the background of potential criminal proceedings which must not be prejudiced. 

Solicitors Regulation Authority

The SRA Board has welcomed two new lay members, Simon Millhouse and Claudio Pollack, who join following the departure of Selina Ullah and Paul Loft, who completed six and seven years respectively at the end of 2024.

Bar Standards Board

The BSB has published a review of the admissions arrangements of vocational Bar course training providers and how they support student progression. The BSB supervision team examined the application of providers’ policies and processes, which are the mechanisms for providers to meet the requirements of the Authorisation Framework.

Overall, the review confirms that providers are largely meeting the standards in the Authorisation Framework in relation to their admissions policies and processes, how they enable standards to be maintained once a student is admitted and that systems are in place to ensure that each student develops to their full potential, whatever their starting point. There were also many examples of good practice across the topic areas. The BSB will promote and develop these with the providers in order to continue to raise standards.

The findings of this review will assist the BSB in its overall strategy of being a proactive, consumer-focused regulator, anchored in an intelligence-based understanding of the market we regulate. It will also assist the BSB in continuing to improve our public protection responsibilities and deliver our gatekeeping and supervision functions efficiently and effectively.

Financial Reporting Council

The FRC has launched a year-long campaign to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) access audit services and reduce reporting burdens where possible. The initiative in turn aims to improve their access to capital and to support their growth ambitions.

SMEs are the backbone of the UK economy representing more than 99% of all private sector businesses with a shared turnover of around £2.75 trillion (52% of total UK business turnover) and employing around 16.6 million workers.

Access to audit is often important in supporting SMEs to secure the capital they need to scale, creating wealth and jobs. However, the FRC notes some challenges faced by SMEs to secure audit services at a proportionate cost, which may affect their ability to grow, and in how auditing standards are interpreted and applied.

As set out in the FRC’s draft 3-year strategy published in December 2024, the campaign will examine how SMEs undertake financial reporting, use and access audit to access capital, and how the FRC can help audit firms apply audit standards proportionately to these smaller, lower risk and less complex companies.

Financial Conduct Authority

The FCA has issued its first fine for transaction reporting failures under the UK Markets in Financial Instruments Regulation. Although the FCA has fined a number of firms for transaction reporting failures, this is the first enforcement action against a firm for a breach of transaction reporting requirements since they became law under the MiFIR.