In a scathing indictment of the UK's medical watchdog, Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting has declared the General Medical Council (GMC) 'fundamentally not fit for purpose' and demanded a complete overhaul. This forceful intervention comes directly in response to the harrowing findings of the Donna Ockenden review into maternity failings at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust.
The review, one of the largest of its kind in NHS history, uncovered a culture of covering up mistakes and avoiding external scrutiny, leading to unimaginable tragedy for hundreds of families. Streeting's comments signal that a future Labour government would take a radically different approach to medical regulation and patient safety.
A System Protecting Itself, Not Patients
Streeting accused the current system of being skewed towards protecting the reputations of professionals and institutions rather than prioritising patient welfare. He highlighted the case of Dr Bill Kirkup, who faced GMC investigation after author a critical report—a move seen as a clear example of the regulator punishing those who speak out.
'This is about a system that closes ranks,' Streeting stated, emphasising that whistleblowers and reviewers should be celebrated, not scrutinised.
The Ockenden Review's Damning Legacy
The call for reform is built upon the foundation of Donna Ockenden's devastating report. The review investigated cases involving 1,500 families and found a repeated failure to investigate serious incidents, a lack of transparency with bereaved families, and a toxic culture that left staff afraid to raise concerns.
These are not isolated incidents, but symptoms of a regulatory body that has lost its way.
What Would GMC Reform Look Like?
While full details of Labour's plan are yet to be published, Streeting's vision includes:
- Shifting the GMC's primary focus towards patient safety and public confidence.
- Creating a faster, more transparent and less adversarial process for dealing with complaints.
- Ensuring stronger accountability for managers and leaders, not just frontline clinicians.
- Establishing stronger protections for whistleblowers to create a more open culture.
The government is now under increased pressure to respond to these calls and address the systemic failures that have shattered public trust in medical regulation.
