GMC Good Medical Practice: what “good” means for doctors, NHS GP care and patient safety
Good medical practice is the General Medical Council’s core professional-standards guidance. It is not a GP surgery, not a CQC rating and not an appointment booking service. It explains the behaviour expected of doctors, physician associates and anaesthesia associates registered with the GMC, including competence, communication, safety, honesty, confidentiality, respect, teamwork and openness when things go wrong.
Search-intent map: what users mean by “GMC Good Medical Practice”
People search this topic in different ways. Some want the GMC document, some want a plain-English summary, some want the four domains, some want the PDF, and some are confused by the words “good medical practice” and “good GP surgery rating”.
| Search phrase | What the user usually needs | Best section |
|---|---|---|
| GMC Good Medical Practice | Plain-English explanation of the GMC professional standards. | 4 domains |
| Good Medical Practice 2024 | What changed, who it applies to, and how to use the guidance. | Duties |
| GMC duties of a doctor | The short list of core duties and what patients can expect. | Duties |
| Good Medical Practice PDF | Official GMC download or page link. | Official links |
| Check if a doctor is registered | Search the official GMC register. | Check doctor |
| Complaint about a GP doctor | Whether to complain to the practice, NHS, CQC or GMC. | Concerns |
| CQC Good GP surgery | Difference between CQC rating and GMC professional standards. | CQC Good vs GMC Good |
Unique decision hub: where should you go next?
Use this section if you typed “GMC Good Medical Practice” but are not sure which official route you need.
I want to read the GMC guidance
Open the official GMC Good medical practice page. Use the four domains as the main map: knowledge, patients, colleagues and professionalism.
I want to find an NHS GP surgery
Use NHS Find a GP. Good medical practice is a standards document, not a surgery with appointments or opening hours.
I want to check a doctor
Use the official GMC registers. Search by full name or GMC reference number where possible.
I had poor service from a GP surgery
Usually start with the GP surgery complaint process or the NHS commissioner route. The GMC is for serious fitness-to-practise or public-protection concerns.
I think a doctor is unsafe
Use the GMC concern route if the issue suggests an ongoing risk to patient safety, public confidence or professional standards.
I am a doctor or medical student
Use this guide as a revision checklist, but always read the official GMC text before relying on it for training, appraisal or professional decisions.
Is GMC Good Medical Practice an NHS GP surgery?
No. GMC Good Medical Practice is not an NHS GP surgery. It is professional guidance published by the General Medical Council. If you are looking for a local GP practice, appointment booking, opening hours, phone number or registration route, use NHS Find a GP or your own GP surgery website.
| Term | What it means | What to use it for |
|---|---|---|
| GMC Good medical practice | Professional standards for GMC registrants. | Doctor behaviour, ethics, professionalism, patient safety and public trust. |
| NHS GP surgery | A local practice where patients register and book GP appointments. | Appointments, prescriptions, fit notes, registration and local care. |
| CQC “Good” rating | A regulator rating of a health or care service. | Checking whether a GP surgery is rated Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement or Inadequate. |
| GMC register | Official lists of registered doctors, PAs and AAs. | Checking a professional’s registration and licence status. |
The four domains of GMC Good medical practice
Good medical practice is divided into four equal domains. Each domain explains a different part of good professional behaviour. Together, they describe how medical professionals should practise safely, communicate clearly, work with colleagues and maintain public trust.
| Domain | Plain-English meaning | What this can look like in NHS GP care |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Knowledge, skills and development | Be competent, keep skills up to date, work within limits and improve practice. | A GP recognises when a patient needs urgent referral, specialist advice, review or follow-up rather than pretending to know everything. |
| 2. Patients, partnership and communication | Treat patients as individuals, listen, explain options and support informed decisions. | A GP explains why a medication is suggested, discusses risks and checks what matters to the patient. |
| 3. Colleagues, culture and safety | Work respectfully with colleagues, create safe culture, raise concerns and record care clearly. | A GP updates records clearly, coordinates with reception, nurses, pharmacists and hospitals, and acts if patient safety may be compromised. |
| 4. Trust and professionalism | Be honest, act with integrity, avoid discrimination and protect public trust. | A GP is open when something goes wrong, keeps confidentiality and does not abuse a patient’s trust. |
GMC duties of doctors and medical professionals
The GMC duties are a short practical summary of what registered medical professionals must do to justify patients’ trust. For patients, they help explain what good care should feel like. For doctors, they are a daily professionalism checklist.
Make patient care the first concern
Clinical choices should be made in the interests of patients, not convenience, pressure, ego, bias or financial interest.
Work within competence
Medical professionals should know their limits, keep skills up to date and seek help or refer when needed.
Listen and communicate
Patients should be treated with dignity, listened to and supported to make informed decisions.
Protect confidentiality
Personal medical information must be protected from improper disclosure.
Work safely with colleagues
Good care depends on teamwork, safe delegation, accurate records and raising safety concerns.
Be honest and open
Doctors and other registrants should act with honesty and be open if things go wrong.
What GMC Good medical practice means for patients
Patients do not need to memorise the guidance. The useful part is knowing the basic standard of behaviour you should be able to expect when you speak to a GP, hospital doctor, physician associate or anaesthesia associate.
Your age, disability, race, sex, religion, background, language, health condition or personal circumstances should not be used unfairly against you.
Before treatment or care decisions, you should be given information you can understand, including benefits, risks and reasonable alternatives.
You may not always get the treatment you ask for, but you should receive a clear explanation and a safe plan.
Your medical details should only be shared when there is a proper clinical, legal or safeguarding reason.
The duty of candour means healthcare professionals should be open and honest if something causes, or could cause, harm or distress.
For service complaints, start with the provider or NHS complaint route. For serious ongoing safety or fitness-to-practise concerns, the GMC may be relevant.
How Good medical practice applies to NHS GP appointments
GP surgeries are busy, and appointment systems can feel confusing. Good medical practice does not guarantee instant appointments, but it does influence how doctors should communicate, triage, record care, manage risk and work with the wider NHS team.
| GP situation | Good medical practice principle | What patients can do |
|---|---|---|
| Reception asks why you need help | Safe triage and teamwork can help patients reach the right clinician. | Give a short clear reason, including red flags or worsening symptoms. |
| You want a named GP | Continuity can help, but urgent safety may require another clinician. | Ask for continuity if clinically important, but accept urgent alternatives when needed. |
| You disagree with a decision | Doctors should explain reasoning, risks and alternatives. | Ask: “Can you explain why this is the safest option?” |
| Your symptoms persist | Good care includes review, safety-netting and recognising uncertainty. | Return if symptoms worsen, change or do not improve as advised. |
| You feel dismissed | Patients should be listened to and treated with respect. | Write down symptoms, timeline, concerns and what outcome you need. |
| Records or referrals contain errors | Clear, accurate records are part of safe professional practice. | Contact the provider promptly and ask for correction or explanation. |
How to check a UK doctor, PA or AA on the GMC register
The GMC maintains official registers so patients, employers and others can check whether a doctor, physician associate or anaesthesia associate is registered. When checking a doctor, the GMC reference number is often more accurate than the name alone because names can be similar.
Use the doctor’s full registered name or GMC reference number. The GMC number is a unique seven-digit reference.
Do not rely only on a clinic website, social media profile, review site or old letter.
A doctor working in UK medical practice normally needs the correct registration and licence status for the work they are doing.
For some roles, such as GP or consultant work, GP Register or Specialist Register status can matter.
A genuine doctor should be able to tell you their registered name and GMC reference number.
When should you raise a concern with the GMC?
The GMC is not the first place for every complaint. It does not usually fix appointment delays, explain your treatment, make a doctor apologise, change a prescription or award compensation. The GMC route is mainly for serious concerns suggesting a doctor, PA or AA may be a current and ongoing risk to patient safety or public confidence.
| Problem | Usually start here | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Rude receptionist, appointment delay, admin problem | GP surgery complaint route or NHS commissioner complaint route. | This is usually a service complaint, not a GMC fitness-to-practise case. |
| Unclear treatment explanation | Ask the GP surgery, hospital department or clinician for explanation first. | The GMC does not explain treatment decisions to patients. |
| Repeated unsafe clinical mistakes | Provider complaint route and possibly GMC if public-safety risk is ongoing. | Repeated serious mistakes may raise professional safety concerns. |
| Violence, sexual assault, abuse of position, serious criminal offence | Emergency services/police where urgent, and GMC concern route. | These may raise serious fitness-to-practise concerns. |
| Discrimination by a doctor or registrant | Provider complaint route and possibly GMC depending on seriousness. | Discrimination can be relevant to professional standards and public trust. |
| Doctor working without a licence | GMC concern route. | Registration and licence status are central to GMC regulation. |
I am raising a concern because [what happened]. It happened on [date] at [place]. The person involved was [name/GMC number if known]. I believe this may be a current risk because [reason]. I have already contacted [practice/hospital/other body] on [date], and the outcome was [brief outcome].
Duty of candour: what should happen if something goes wrong?
The professional duty of candour means healthcare professionals should be open and honest with patients when something goes wrong with treatment or care and causes, or could cause, harm or distress.
Tell the patient
The patient, advocate, carer or family should be told when something has gone wrong where appropriate.
Apologise
An apology should be offered. Saying sorry does not automatically mean legal liability is admitted.
Offer remedy or support
Where possible, the service should offer support or steps to put matters right.
Explain effects
The patient should receive a clear explanation of short-term and long-term effects where known.
CQC “Good” vs GMC Good Medical Practice
The word “good” causes confusion. A GP surgery rated “Good” by CQC is not the same thing as GMC Good medical practice. CQC rates services. The GMC regulates registered medical professionals and sets professional standards.
| Question | CQC “Good” | GMC Good medical practice |
|---|---|---|
| Who is it about? | A care service such as a GP surgery, hospital or clinic. | Doctors, physician associates and anaesthesia associates registered with GMC. |
| What does it measure? | Whether the service is safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. | Professional behaviour, competence, communication, safety and trust. |
| Who publishes it? | Care Quality Commission. | General Medical Council. |
| Can it book appointments? | No. | No. |
| Where to use it? | Checking a GP surgery’s inspection status. | Understanding professional standards or raising serious professional concerns. |
For medical students, junior doctors and GP trainees
If you are preparing for medical school interviews, OSCEs, GP training, appraisal or reflection, Good medical practice is not just something to memorise. It is more useful as a framework for safe professional reasoning.
Use it in communication stations
Show respect, listen, check understanding, explain uncertainty, safety-net and involve the patient in decisions.
Use it in reflection
Reflect on competence, communication, safety culture, teamwork, openness and professionalism.
Use it in appraisal
Link feedback, complaints, compliments, learning events, CPD and quality improvement to the four domains.
Use it in primary care
Apply the standards to triage, prescribing, safeguarding, follow-up, records, delegation and continuity of care.
Practical checklist: what “good medical practice” looks like in real life
This quick checklist is useful for patients, clinicians and managers. It turns the professional standards into everyday signs of safe care.
Official source check and reference links
Official sources checked before writing: GMC Good medical practice, GMC duties of registered medical professionals, GMC Good medical practice 2024 overview, GMC guide to the registers, GMC concern guidance, GMC duty of candour guidance, GMC raising and acting on concerns guidance, NHS 111 and NHS England complaint guidance.
Official links: About Good medical practice · Good medical practice 2024 · Duties of GMC registrants · Guide to GMC registers · Search the medical register · Raise a concern with GMC · Duty of candour · NHS England complaints · NHS 111 online
Why this page is structured this way: many users mix together GMC Good medical practice, GP surgery appointments, CQC “Good” ratings, doctor registration checks and complaint routes. This guide separates those needs so patients and clinicians can choose the correct official route.