GMC Investigation Advice for Doctors: The First Steps That Matter

Written and reviewed by Dr Shehzad Iqbal, MBBS, MRCS, MRCGP, Postgraduate Certificate in Healthcare Law and Ethics · Updated 3 November 2026

GMC investigation advice for doctors: what to do first after a GMC letter?

The GMC now phones a doctor at the start of an investigation rather than sending a letter as its first contact, and gives you a single point of contact for the case. Whether the news comes by phone or in writing, these are the first steps:

1. Write down what you were told on the day: the date, the name of your GMC contact and what the concern is about.
2. Call your medical defence organisation. The GMC’s own guide for doctors says to contact it straight away, and, if you are not a member, the BMA or another professional body you belong to. Legal aid is not available for a GMC investigation.
3. Wait for advice before you comment. The GMC says you can comment on the concern but do not have to at this stage, and that comments may help resolve a case more quickly. What to say, and when, is a decision for you and your adviser.
4. Collect your own records that relate to the concern, such as rotas, notes, emails and messages, and keep them together for your adviser.
5. Tell your responsible officer or suitable person. The GMC’s revalidation requirements ask you to tell them if there is a concern about your fitness to practise.

Each stage after these first days, from triage to the case examiners’ decision, is set out in our GMC fitness to practise investigation step-by-step guide, so it is not repeated here.

Where can doctors get GMC investigation support?

• Your medical defence organisation for advice and representation on the case.
• The BMA, or another professional body, if you are not a member of a defence organisation.
• The Doctor Support Service. The BMA runs it for the GMC, and the GMC describes it as free, confidential and independent of the GMC. A doctor experienced in peer support is matched with you, you do not need to be a BMA member, and the GMC is not told you are using it unless you tell them. If your case goes to a hearing, a supporter can attend with you for up to two days.
• Your GMC point of contact for questions about the process, timings and reasonable adjustments.

The GMC also publishes a list of support organisations for health and wellbeing. Taking care of your health is part of getting through an investigation, not a distraction from it.

What does the GMC ask of a doctor under investigation?

When an investigation opens, the GMC tells you about the concern and asks for details of your employers. It then asks your employer or your responsible officer whether there are other concerns about your fitness to practise. The GMC’s published guide shows triage at around two weeks, investigation at around eleven weeks and the case examiners’ decision at around three weeks, longer when information has to come from other organisations. Case examiners can close the case, give advice, issue a warning, agree undertakings with you or refer you to a medical practitioners tribunal, and an interim orders tribunal can be asked at any stage to place conditions on your registration or suspend it. Our guide to a GMC referral covers what each outcome means for your registration. If you are the one who has to tell the GMC, see GMC self-referral: when and how to refer yourself.

When should a doctor start remediation in a GMC investigation?

Early, and with your adviser’s agreement on what goes to the GMC. A dated certificate from before the case examiners meet shows that you acted while the case was open, not after a decision. Match the subject to the concern:

• Honesty, a CV, a claim or a sick note: Probity for Healthcare Professionals, with our guide to probity in medicine.
• A boundary with a patient or a colleague: Professional Boundaries for Clinicians.
• Conduct or professionalism in general: Professionalism and the Professional Standards for Doctors.
• How to respond and show insight: How to Deal with a Complaint or Investigation, then the Module on Insight to write the reflection itself.

Our GMC courses guide maps each type of concern to the Good medical practice standard it is measured against.

Does a GMC investigation affect CPD and appraisal?

No pause is built in. The GMC’s revalidation requirements expect your appraisals and supporting information to carry on while a fitness to practise case is open, as far as you are able, so keep your CPD going. A course taken for the investigation goes into your appraisal portfolio with a short reflection, under CPD and, where the concern began as a complaint, beside the complaint itself. Our guide to online CPD courses for doctors covers how to record it.

Courses for a GMC investigation: prices and Bulk Buy

Courses that sit beside it

With Bulk Buy, 3 courses cost £200, 5 cost £300 and 10 cost £500. Not sure which course matches the concern? Book a free 15-minute call or see which course do I need.

Guides that help

The CPD courses linked from this guide, How to Deal with a Complaint or Investigation, Probity for Healthcare Professionals, Professional Boundaries for Clinicians and Professionalism and Professional Standards for Doctors, are by Probity & Ethics, written by Dr Shehzad Iqbal, CPD certified and accredited by The CPD Certification Service (provider no. 13197) and offered since 2020.

Questions and answers