GMC IR1-5469823870 response email 16 July 2026

Authority case reference: IR1-5469823870
Patient information and clinical responsibility

Redacted email body

Dear Pete Lindsay,



 



Your information request – IR1-5469823870



 



Thank you for your email dated 19 June 2026 asking about communication regarding the misuse of drugs. 



 



I’ve considered your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). 



Please see our response to your letter below.



1. Has GMC considered whether prescribers should communicate to patients the legal consequences arising from Regulation 16A(3) of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001? 



 



No, this has not been a specific consideration. But we do set standards for prescribers we regulate which we expect them to follow.



 



We are not able to provide specific guidance for each situation a prescriber we regulate may find themselves in, but the guidance on professional standards we provide supports them to use their professional judgement during interactions with patients to provide them with the information they need to make informed decisions about their care. The guidance is not a set of rules to be followed, but it indicates good practice within an ethical framework.



 



Background on the role of professional standards



 



We are the independent regulator of doctors, physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs) in the UK, and our role is to set the values, knowledge, skills and behaviours expected of all doctors, PAs and AAs who are registered with us and are working in the UK. These are known as the professional standards.



 



We don’t have a role in setting clinical guidelines (for cannabis-based prescription medicines or any kinds of treatment), and we don’t have a role in defining a scope of practice more generally for our registrants.



 



We provide guidance on the professional standards <https://www.gmc-uk.org/professional-standards>  we set. The principles in the guidance are necessarily high-level to allow them to be widely applicable across all specialties, grades and areas of work, including the NHS and private practice. We expect medical professionals we regulate to use their professional judgement to work out which of the principles apply to their day-to-day practice, and act accordingly. 



 



We expect medical professionals to continue to meet these professional standards, by regularly reflecting on their practice and having regular appraisals with their employers, to recognise their strengths and identify areas for development.



 



Our core guidance on professional standards, Good medical practice <https://www.gmc-uk.org/professional-standards/the-professional-standards/good-medical-practice> , sets out key principles which include;



 



*	making the care of patients the first concern, 

*	providing a good standard of practice and care,  

*	working within competence, and 

*	working in partnership with patients and supporting them to make informed decisions about their care.



 



We say that medical professionals must recognise and work within their competence; keep up to date with guidelines and developments that affect their work; and follow the law, our guidance and other regulations relevant to their work.



 



We are clear that the exchange of information between medical professionals and patient is essential to good decision making, and we provide more detailed guidance on Decision making and consent <https://www.gmc-uk.org/professional-standards/the-professional-standards/decision-making-and-consent>  to support them in their conversations with their patients. The guidance is designed to help them to be confident they’re sharing the information patients need to make decisions that are right for them. By following it, it will help them make sure that they have informed consent from the patient.   



 



In addition, we provide more detailed guidance on prescribing <https://www.gmc-uk.org/professional-standards/the-professional-standards/good-practice-in-prescribing-and-managing-medicines-and-devices/deciding-if-it-is-safe-to-prescribe#can-you-establish-a-dialogue-and-obtain-consent-F0E072A51FA64C28B50530636D215F54> , which also sets expectations around giving information to patients, establishing a dialogue with the patient and obtaining their consent following a conversation about the risks and benefits of the proposed treatment.



 



2. If the answer to Question 1 is yes, please provide the records documenting that consideration. 



 



N/A



 



3. If the answer to Question 1 is no, please identify any organisation, authority or office-holder regarded as responsible for considering that issue.



 



We are unable to provide a response to this as the GMC has not considered this matter. 



 



4. If GMC has not considered the issue itself, does GMC hold any recorded information identifying who is responsible for ensuring that patients are informed of the legal consequences arising from Regulation 16A(3)?



 



We do not hold recorded information which is specific to this situation.



 



Who to contact



 



I hope you find this information useful. If you have any queries about this FOI request, or need anything further, please contact me on the details below.



 



If you want to discuss this topic further outside of the FOI space, please contact our standards team standards@gmc-uk.org <mailto:standards@gmc-uk.org> 



 



Yours sincerely 



 



 



Aimee Clarke



Information Access Officer



Information Access Team 



General Medical Council



www.gmc-uk.org <http://www.gmc-uk.org> 



aimee.clarke@gmc-uk.org <mailto:aimee.clarke@gmc-uk.org> 



[direct line redacted]



 



 



From: FOI 

Sent: 19 June 2026 15:16

To: 'pete.lindsay@justicebydesign.org.uk' <pete.lindsay@justicebydesign.org.uk <mailto:pete.lindsay@justicebydesign.org.uk> >

Subject: RE: FOI - Regulation 16A(3) Patient Communication - GMC



 



Dear Pete Lindsay,



 



Your information request – IR1-5469823870



 



Thank you for your email dated 19 June 2026. 



 



How we will consider your request 



We are going to consider your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). The FOIA gives us 20 working days to respond, but we’ll come back to you as soon as we can. 



 



Your request will be allocated to a member of the team. If you have any queries please email foi@gmc-uk.org <mailto:foi@gmc-uk.org> .



 



Yours sincerely,



 



Information Access Team



General Medical Council



3 Hardman Street



Manchester M3 3AW



 



From: pete.lindsay@justicebydesign.org.uk <mailto:pete.lindsay@justicebydesign.org.uk>  <pete.lindsay@justicebydesign.org.uk <mailto:pete.lindsay@justicebydesign.org.uk> > 

Sent: 19 June 2026 13:06

To: FOI <FOI@gmc-uk.org <mailto:FOI@gmc-uk.org> >

Subject: FOI - Regulation 16A(3) Patient Communication - GMC



 



Dear GMC FoI team, Please see attached FoI request Kind Regards Pete Lindsay Justice by Design ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž



Dear GMC FoI team,



 



Please see attached FoI request



 



Kind Regards



 



Pete Lindsay



Justice by Design



General Medical Council



We work with doctors, physician associates (PAs), anaesthesia associates (AAs), those they care for and other stakeholders to support good, safe patient care across the UK. We set the standards doctors, PAs, AAs and their educators need to meet, and help them achieve them. If there are concerns these standards may not be met or that public confidence in doctors, PAs or AAs may be at risk, we can investigate, and take action if needed.



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You are welcome to contact us in Welsh. We will respond in Welsh, without this causing additional delay.



_________________________________________________________________



Y Cyngor Meddygol Cyffredinol



Rydym yn gweithio gyda meddygon, cymdeithion meddygol (PA), cymdeithion anesthesia (AA), y rhai y maent yn gofalu amdanynt a rhanddeiliaid eraill i gefnogi gofal da a diogel i gleifion ledled y DU. Rydym yn gosod y safonau y mae angen i feddygon, cymdeithion meddygol, cymdeithion anesthesia a’u haddysgwyr eu bodloni, ac yn eu helpu i’w cyrraedd. Os oes pryderon na fydd y safonau hyn yn cael eu bodloni o bosibl, neu y gallai hyder y cyhoedd mewn meddygon, cymdeithion meddygol neu gymdeithion anesthesia fod mewn perygl, gallwn ymchwilio, a chymryd camau os oes angen.



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Mae’r Cyngor Meddygol Cyffredinol yn elusen gofrestredig yng Nghymru a Lloegr (1089278) ac yn yr Alban (SC037750)



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