Do Doctors Have to Tell the GMC About Criminal Charges?

Doctors often assume they only need to tell the General Medical Council if they are convicted of a criminal offence. That is wrong.

The duty to notify the GMC is wider. In some cases, it arises before a case has been proved, before a trial has taken place, and before any finding of guilt has been made.

The central rule is this: doctors must tell the GMC without delay about certain criminal, regulatory and disciplinary matters, whether they happen in the UK or overseas. A failure to report can itself become a fitness to practise concern.

When does a doctor have to tell the GMC?

The GMC expects doctors to act openly and honestly when criminal or regulatory issues arise. The obligation is not limited to convictions. It can include charges, cautions, equivalent criminal disposals, regulatory findings and criticism by an official inquiry.

The duty also applies to matters overseas. A doctor should not assume that something falls outside the GMC’s concern simply because it happened outside the United Kingdom.

Do doctors have to report criminal charges?

Yes. A doctor must tell the GMC without delay if they are charged with a criminal offence.

This surprises many doctors because a charge is only an allegation. It has not been proved. The doctor may deny it, may not be charged and/or may later be acquitted. Even so, the reporting duty is triggered by the charge itself, not by the outcome of the case.

Do doctors have to report cautions and other disposals?

Yes, in many cases. Doctors must notify the GMC if they formally admit committing a criminal offence, including by accepting a police caution or equivalent disposal.

Some outcomes are more difficult to classify, including community resolutions, fines, penalty notices for disorder and other local or overseas disposals. The safest approach is not to guess. If the disposal involves admission of criminal conduct, or could affect public confidence in the profession, advice should be taken before deciding not to report it.

Do doctors have to report action by another regulator?

Yes, where another professional regulator has made findings against the doctor through fitness to practise proceedings.

This is not limited to medical regulators. If another professional body has restricted registration, imposed conditions, imposed a suspension, removed the doctor from a register, or made adverse findings, the doctor should consider their GMC reporting obligations immediately.

What about criticism by an official inquiry?

Doctors must notify the GMC if they are criticised by an official inquiry anywhere in the world in a way that may call their fitness to practise into question.

The key point is the criticism. Being involved in an inquest, inquiry or public investigation is not necessarily enough. The question is whether the findings or criticism raise issues about professional conduct, competence, honesty, patient safety or public confidence.

Do doctors have to tell their employer as well?

Possibly. The duty to notify the GMC is separate from any duty to tell an employer, Responsible Officer, designated body, NHS trust, private provider, locum agency or defence organisation.

Doctors should consider each reporting obligation separately. Telling one organisation does not necessarily mean the others have been properly notified.

What does “without delay” mean?

It means promptly. It does not mean waiting until the end of the criminal case, the conclusion of an employer investigation, or the outcome of another regulator’s process.

That said, a notification should still be carefully framed. It should be accurate, measured and consistent with the doctor’s position in any criminal, employment or regulatory proceedings. Delay can cause problems but so can a rushed and poorly drafted disclosure.

Will the GMC automatically investigate?

Not necessarily. Notification does not automatically mean restrictions, a fitness to practise investigation or a referral to a Medical Practitioners Tribunal.

The GMC will consider the nature of the allegation, the risk to patients, the public interest, the doctor’s role, the stage of any criminal or regulatory proceedings, and whether the doctor has acted openly and responsibly.

What happens if a doctor fails to tell the GMC?

A failure to notify can become a separate fitness to practise issue. In some cases, the GMC’s concern becomes less about the original allegation and more about whether the doctor acted honestly when their professional obligations arose.

The GMC may consider whether the failure was deliberate, how long the delay lasted, whether the doctor corrected the position voluntarily, and whether the conduct raises concerns about honesty, integrity or insight.

What should a doctor do before notifying the GMC?

A doctor facing criminal charges, regulatory proceedings or criticism by an official inquiry should get advice early. The notification must protect the doctor’s regulatory position without undermining any related criminal, employment or disciplinary proceedings.

The wording matters. What is said to the GMC may be scrutinised later by an employer, prosecutor, tribunal or another regulator.

Unsure whether you need to tell the GMC?

Doctors are often asked to make disclosure decisions at the worst possible time: after arrest, charge, disciplinary action, regulatory referral, inquest findings or adverse criticism. The wrong decision can sometimes create avoidable regulatory risk.

If you are unsure whether you need to notify the GMC, do not guess. Take advice before you delay, respond or make a disclosure that may later be difficult to correct.

About Jared McNally

I am a Partner and Head of Professional Discipline at Clifford Johnston & Co. I have more than 22 years’ experience representing doctors and other professionals facing serious regulatory allegations, disciplinary proceedings and career-threatening investigations.

My work is focused on protecting professionals when their registration, reputation and future are at risk. I regularly act for individuals and trade union members across the UK in complex regulatory matters, including cases before the GMC and MPTS.

I understand how difficult it can be for a doctor to know whether, when and how to notify the GMC about criminal charges, cautions, regulatory findings or criticism by an official inquiry. These decisions often have to be made under pressure, while criminal, employment or disciplinary proceedings are still ongoing. A poorly judged delay, or a badly drafted notification, can create unnecessary regulatory risk.

I am a member of the Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers, reflecting my specialist focus on professional regulation and disciplinary proceedings. My approach is direct, strategic and evidence led. As an experienced GMC Solicitor, I help doctors assess their reporting obligations, protect their position, prepare accurate and measured notifications, and manage the wider regulatory consequences of criminal, disciplinary or professional proceedings.