What Good Medical Practice 2024 Actually Requires
Good Medical Practice is the GMC's core guidance document for all doctors registered in the UK. The 2024 edition sets out the professional values, knowledge, skills, and behaviours expected of every doctor. It is organised around four domains, and understanding each one is essential for any doctor who wants to practise at the highest standard — or who wants to understand what the GMC means when it assesses fitness to practise.
You must maintain and develop your professional knowledge and skills throughout your career. This means engaging in meaningful CPD, keeping up with developments in your specialty, recognising the limits of your competence, and seeking help or referring when a clinical situation is beyond your experience. A better doctor does not pretend to know everything — they know when to ask for help.
You must take prompt action if patient safety is at risk, contribute to systems that protect patients, report adverse incidents, and learn from errors. Good Medical Practice 2024 places particular emphasis on the duty of candour — being open with patients when things go wrong. A better doctor does not hide from mistakes. They own them, learn from them, and change their practice.
You must communicate effectively with patients, listen to their concerns, involve them in decisions about their care, and work collaboratively with colleagues. The 2024 edition strengthens the requirements around working in multidisciplinary teams and addressing discrimination and bias in the workplace. A better doctor does not just treat patients — they communicate with them as partners in their own care.
You must act with honesty and integrity, treat patients with dignity and respect, maintain appropriate professional boundaries, and behave in a way that justifies the trust the public places in the medical profession. This domain covers probity, conflicts of interest, social media conduct, and behaviour outside clinical practice. A better doctor understands that trust is earned through consistency, not claimed through title.
Six Habits That Make a Better Doctor
The following habits are not theoretical — they are the observable behaviours that consistently distinguish doctors who maintain strong professional standing from those who encounter difficulties.
- Reflect honestly and regularly — not just for revalidation, but as a professional habit. Keep a reflective log, review your clinical decisions, and be honest about what went well and what could have been better
- Seek feedback proactively — ask patients, colleagues, and supervisors for feedback. Feedback you seek is more valuable than feedback you receive after a complaint
- Complete CPD that challenges you — choose CPD activities that address your genuine learning needs, not just convenient or comfortable topics. Ethics, probity, and professionalism courses are areas most doctors underinvest in
- Communicate with empathy — listen before you speak. Acknowledge the patient's experience. Explain things in language they understand. Ask if they have questions
- Know your limits — the most dangerous doctor is the one who does not recognise the boundaries of their competence. Refer, escalate, and ask for help without hesitation
- Look after yourself — Good Medical Practice 2024 explicitly acknowledges that doctor wellbeing affects patient safety. Managing your physical and mental health is a professional responsibility, not a personal luxury
The prescription for being a better doctor is simple to describe but requires sustained effort to follow: stay curious, stay honest, stay compassionate, and never stop learning. The doctors who get into difficulty are rarely those who lack clinical skills — they are those who stop reflecting, stop listening, or stop asking for help.
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The Wellbeing Dimension
Good Medical Practice 2024 explicitly acknowledges that a doctor's own health and wellbeing affects patient safety. Burnout, stress, and mental health difficulties are not signs of weakness — they are occupational hazards of a demanding profession. A better doctor recognises when they are struggling and seeks support before it affects their practice.
Resources available to doctors include the BMA's confidential counselling service, the Practitioner Health Programme, your medical defence organisation's support services, and the GMC's own support resources for doctors under investigation.
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See Courses for Doctors →Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a good doctor according to the GMC?
Good Medical Practice 2024 defines a good doctor as one who makes patient care their first concern, is competent, keeps knowledge up to date, maintains trust through honesty and integrity, and works effectively with colleagues. It covers four domains: knowledge and skills, safety and quality, communication and teamwork, and maintaining trust.
How can I improve as a doctor?
By engaging in structured CPD, practising honest self-reflection, seeking feedback from patients and colleagues, staying current with Good Medical Practice standards, developing communication skills, and maintaining your physical and mental wellbeing.
Why is reflective practice important for doctors?
Reflective practice helps doctors identify gaps in their knowledge and skills, learn from clinical experiences, improve decision-making, and demonstrate insight to regulators. It is a requirement for GMC revalidation and a core professional skill.
How does Good Medical Practice 2024 differ from the previous version?
Good Medical Practice 2024 places greater emphasis on wellbeing, addressing discrimination and bias, the use of social media, working in multidisciplinary teams, and creating supportive environments for colleagues to raise concerns.
What CPD should doctors complete to improve their practice?
CPD should be relevant to your scope of practice and address identified learning needs. For professional development, courses in ethics, professionalism, probity, communication, and reflective practice are particularly valuable.
This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional regulatory advice. If you are facing a GMC investigation, seek independent legal advice from a specialist regulatory solicitor and contact your medical defence organisation without delay.