CHRE Performance review report 2011-12 - Professional Standards ...

The work that the GMC has undertaken to establish the Medical Practitioners’
Tribunal Service (MPTS). To date the GMC has appointed the Chair of the
MPTS, it has relocated the adjudication function from London to Manchester,
and it has commenced recruitment of panellists. The MPTS was formally
launched on 11 June 2012.
12.14 The GMC expects this ongoing work to assist in improving the time taken for cases
to progress through the fitness to practise process and to increase public
confidence in panel decisions. We support these aims and will continue to monitor
their achievement as well as the other impacts of the changes the GMC intends to
implement.
13. The General Optical Council (GOC)
Overall assessment
13.1 The GOC has generally performed well and has met the majority of the Standards
of Good Regulation . It has also taken a lead in initiating collaborative projects with
some of the other regulators, such as exploring the possibility of co-locating office
and hearing space. We consider that this is a good example of regulators working
together to improve the costs and quality of operations.
13.2 However, we have concerns relating to:
The time taken by the GOC to schedule final fitness to practise hearings.
The lack of progress that the GOC has made in ensuring that the appropriate
framework is in place to reduce the risk of information breaches in its fitness to
practise function.
13.3 Consequently we consider that the GOC has demonstrated inconsistent
compliance with the sixth Standard of Good Regulation for fitness to practise and
has not met the tenth Standard of Good Regulation for fitness to practise. We note
that the GOC is already taking appropriate action to address these concerns.
Guidance and standards
13.4 We consider that the GOC continues to meet the Standards of Good Regulation for
guidance and standards. It has demonstrated this by:
Producing new guidance that is targeted at specific stakeholder groups in
order to support and supplement the Codes of Conduct and the Competency
Framework that were introduced in April 2010.
Reviewing how it publishes standards, to ensure that both GOC registrants
and patients clearly understand what is expected of registered optical
professionals.
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