Citation and commencement

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Eligibility and Registration of General Practitioners and Specialist Medical Practitioners (Amendment) Order of Council 2022 and comes into force on 30th November 2023.

(2) This Order extends to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Amendment of the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Order of Council 2010

2.  The Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Order of Council 2010( 2) is amended as follows.

3.  For article 4(4)( 3) substitute—

“(4)  Persons are also eligible general practitioners for the purposes of article 3(1)(a) if they do not fall within paragraph (1), (2) or (3) but have—

(a) undertaken training in general practice; or

(b) been awarded qualifications in general practice,

and the Registrar is satisfied that that training, or those qualifications, or both when considered together give them the knowledge, skills and experience required for practising as a general practitioner in the United Kingdom. ”

4.  For article 8(2)( 4) substitute—

“(2)  A person (“ S ”) is an eligible specialist for the purposes of article 7(1)(a) if S does not fall within paragraph (1) but has—

(a) undertaken specialist training; or

(b) been awarded specialist qualifications,

in a recognised specialty and satisfies the Registrar that the specialist training, or those qualifications, or both when considered together give S the knowledge, skills and experience required for practising as an eligible specialist in the United Kingdom. ”

General Medical Council (Applications for General Practice and Specialist Registration) (Amendment) Regulations 2022

5.  Their Lordships are pleased to and do approve the General Medical Council (Applications for General Practice and Specialist Registration) (Amendment) Regulations 2022 which are set out in the Schedule to this Order.

Article 5

SCHEDULE General Medical Council (Applications for General Practice and Specialist Registration) (Amendment) Regulations 2022

The General Medical Council make the following Regulations in exercise of the power conferred by section 34E(1) and (2) of the Medical Act 1983( 5).

1.  The General Medical Council (Applications for General Practice and Specialist Registration) Regulations 2010( 6) are amended as follows.

2.  For regulation 5(1)(j)( 7) substitute—

“(j) evidence that the applicant’s training, or qualifications, or both when considered together, give the applicant the knowledge, skills and experience required for practising as a general practitioner for the purposes of article 4(4) of the 2010 Order (general practitioners eligible for entry in the General Practitioner Register); ”.

3.  For regulation 5(1)(k)( 8) substitute—

“(k) evidence that the applicant’s specialist training, or specialist qualifications in a recognised specialty, or both when considered together, give the applicant the knowledge, skills and experience required for practising as an eligible specialist for the purposes of article 8(2) of the 2010 Order (specialists eligible for entry in the specialist register); ”.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order amends articles 4(4) and 8(2) of the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Order of Council 2010 ( S.I. 2010/473) (the “ 2010 Order”).

It also approves and gives effect to the General Medical Council (Applications for General Practice and Specialist Registration) (Amendment) Regulations 2022, which amend the General Medical Council (Applications for General Practice and Specialist Registration) Regulations 2010 (the “ 2010 Regulations”).

The amendments to the 2010 Order and the 2010 Regulations remove the requirement for applicants to demonstrate that they have undertaken training or qualifications equivalent to a certificate of completion of training (“ CCT”) when seeking to join the General Medical Council’s general practitioner and specialist registers. The equivalence requirement is replaced with a requirement for such applicants to demonstrate knowledge, skills and experience required for general practice or specialist practice in the United Kingdom. The change is intended to give the General Medical Council flexibility when registering international GP and specialist candidates. A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.