The GMC is currently consulting on updates to the Good medical practice guidelines which will then be fixed for another five years. Given the urgency of acting on the climate crisis we therefore need sustainability to be included in the new version to mobilise the medical workforce. Please take a few moments to respond to the consultation and highlight the importance of sustainability being included. Ideally we would like to see this as a fifth domain as this would ensure that each and every doctor must have done something relevant to this at every annual appraisal. As a second best option one of the domains should include sustainability in the title ( e.g. Domain 2 to be renamed as Safety, Quality and Sustainability). Lets send them an avalanche of feedback to ensure they start to use their powerful position to address this looming public health catastrophe!
Please also consider whether you would support changing the wording of the Professionalism in action section from “honest and trustworthy, and act with integrity and within the law.” To the something similar to the American Medical Association wording – “A physician shall respect the law and also recognize a responsibility to seek changes in those requirements which are contrary to the best interests of the patient”. This would support those medical professionals who are risking their liberty by engaging in non-violent civil disobedience to promote action for climate change. Currently the GMC is putting those who are arrested through ’due process’ but is not disciplining them, so their actions are not consistent with the current document anyway. However, The current wording implies that these individuals are not ‘ good doctors’.
I hope you will find time to contribute to this important process.
The link for the consultation is here Good medical practice review - GMC (gmc-uk.org)
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