Minutes of the Meeting on 10 December

Transcription

1 25 February 2014 Council 2 To approve Minutes o the Meeting on 10 December Members present Peter Rubin, Chair Shree Datta Christine Eames Michael Farthing Helene Hayman Ajay Kakkar Deirdre Kelly Suzi Leather Jim McKillop Denise Platt Enid Rowlands Hamish Wilson Others present Niall Dickson, Chie Executive and Registrar Paul Philip, Chie Operating Oicer Paul Buckley, Director o Education and Standards Anthony Omo, Director o Fitness to Practise Christine Payne, Council Secretary Ben Jones, Director o Strategy and Communication Una Lane, Director o Registration and Revalidation Neil Roberts, Director o Resources and Quality Assurance 1 These Minutes should be read in conjunction with the Council papers or this meeting, which are available on our website at

2 Chair s business 1 It was noted that no apologies or absence had been received. 2 The Chair paid tribute to Paul Philip, Chie Operating Oicer, and to Ben Jones, Director o Strategy and Communication, who would be leaving the GMC at the end o January 2014 and December 2013 respectively. The Chair thanked them or their contribution to our work during 20 years o combined service, and oered his congratulations and best wishes to both in their new appointments. 3 Council noted that it had agreed, on action taken between meetings, amendments to the ollowing sections o the Governance Handbook, which had been inadvertently omitted rom the document approved by Council at its meeting on 23 April 2013: a Annex C4: Procedure or dealing with complaints against members. b Annex C5: Appointment o the Chair o Council. 4 The Chair reported that no declarations o interest had been made. Minutes o the Meeting on 25 September Council approved the minutes o the meeting on 25 September 2013 as a true record. Chie Executive s Report 6 Council considered the Chie Executive s Report, noting developments in the external environment and progress on our strategy, and key outcomes o note rom the Strategy and Policy Board meeting on 21 November During the discussion, it was noted that: a The post o Chie Operating Oicer would be advertised early in the New Year in anticipation o Paul Philip s departure at the end o January b Paul Buckley, Director o Education and Standards, would be taking up the post o Director o Strategy and Communication rom 1 January 2014, ollowing the departure o Ben Jones. Judith Hul, the GMC s Responsible Oicer and Senior Medical Adviser, would take up the position o Director o Education and Standards on an interim basis, with the substantive post being advertised early in the New Year. c Following a request rom the Secretary o State or Health, we were working with the Nursing and Midwiery Council and other regulators to look at developing common wording in our guidance on the issue o candour. 2

3 d The Law Commission s drat Bill on the regulation o health and social care proessionals was expected to be published in Q1/Q2 2014, and the Department o Health had set up a Bill team to oversee the work. e The Scottish Government had stated in its White Paper on independence that it would wish to continue with UK wide proessional healthcare regulation and to maintain the existing regulatory bodies. Following indings rom our National Training Survey in relation to reports o bullying, harassment and undermining, we would be working with the medical Royal Colleges, including the Royal College o Obstetrics and Gynaecology, to ollow up on speciic areas o particular concern and to conduct check visits in We would also continue work to develop the data we hold and to work with proessional and systems regulators to make better use o inormation available, including to identiy any trends in the dierent parts o the UK. g That we had received positive eedback rom key interests in relation to the irst UK Advisory Forum meetings held in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Chie Operating Oicer s Report 7 Council considered the Chie Operating Oicer s Report, noting: a The commentary on signiicant issues potentially aecting operational perormance. b A summary o progress in delivery o our operational plans. c Key outcomes o note rom the Perormance and Resources Board meeting on 4 November d A inancial summary to 31 October e Operational perormance and volumes o activity or itness to practise, registration and certiication work, Proessional and Linguistic Assessments Board tests, contact centre and reception services, and revalidation. Summary inormation on current judicial reviews and appeals. 8 During the discussion, Council noted: a That December 2013 marked the irst anniversary o the launch o revalidation. 3

4 b The launch, in September 2013, o our consultation on the proposed requirement or EEA doctors applying or registration with a licence to practise to demonstrate that they have the necessary knowledge o English beore the grant o a licence. c An update on the number o cases in our itness to practise procedures, including that there had been a 10% increase in the number o enquiries triaged into Stream 1 between October 2012 and October d That we had submitted our evidence to the Proessional Standards Authority (PSA) or the annual perormance review o the healthcare regulators. Council also noted that PSA had recently published a report on its audit o itness to practise cases in the initial stages o investigation in our procedures, and that the overall conclusion o the report was very positive. e That we would shortly be publishing the number o complaints we have received about doctors by secondary care location in the UK or the period Council noted that it would be helpul to include the outcomes as part o the breakdown o inormation to be published. That we had reduced our service target or the conclusion o 90% o itness to practise cases rom 15 months to 12 months, ollowing advice rom the Health Select Committee in This target was met in September 2013, with 94% achieved. Work would continue on improving the quality and timeliness o the service, including in relation to better case management. Corporate Strategy and Equality and Diversity Strategy Council considered the drat Corporate Strategy: , and the drat Equality and Diversity Strategy: Council: a Noted that the drat Strategies required urther work to be undertaken by the Executive ollowing receipt o eedback requested rom members on the current drat documents. b Agreed that revised versions o the drat Strategies would be circulated to members or urther review and comment. c Agreed to authorise the Chair o Council to approve the inal versions o the Corporate Strategy and the Equality and Diversity Strategy on behal o Council Business Plan and Budget 11 Council considered the drat 2014 Business Plan and Budget, and proposals relating to setting doctors annual retention ee rom 1 April

5 12 Council: a Noted that the drat 2014 Business Plan required urther work to be undertaken by the Executive ollowing receipt o eedback requested rom members on the current drat. b Agreed to authorise the Chair o Council to approve the inal version o the 2014 Business Plan on behal o Council, subject to consideration o the eedback received rom members. c Approved the 2014 revenue expenditure budget o 97 million and the capital programme o 8.1 million. d Agreed to reeze doctors annual retention ee at the current levels. e Agreed to increase the threshold or eligibility or the income discount to 32,000, eective rom 1 April Agreed to delegate authority to the Chair o Council to make the revised GMC Registration Fees Regulations, eective rom 1 April Amending the List o bodies entitled to award UK Primary Medical Qualiications 13 Council considered and agreed a request to add Queen Mary University o London to the GMC s List o bodies entitled to award UK Primary Medical Qualiications. Report o the Audit and Risk Committee 14 Council considered the report o the Audit and Risk Committee s activities since its last report on 22 May Council: a Noted the issues considered by the Audit and Risk Committee at its meetings on 25 June, 5 September and 6 November b Approved the suggested amendments to the Committee s Statement o Purpose, in relation to its purpose and responsibilities as set out in paragraphs 1 and 9 o Annex A to the paper. c Noted the additional meeting o the Committee to be held on 25 February 2014, which would include inalisation o the 2014 programme o internal audit work. 5

6 Report o the Remuneration Committee Council considered the report on the work o the Remuneration Committee in 2013, noting its work on the 2013 pay award or the senior management team and Chair o the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service, the pay and reward review, and on-going work on the perormance management ramework or the senior management team. Council noted that no change to the Committee s Statement o Purpose was recommended at this time. Council orward work programme Council agreed its orward work programme or 2014, noting that it would be urther developed ollowing on-going work to review and inalise Directorates Operational Plans, and the executive Boards orward work programmes or Report o the Perormance and Resources Board Council noted a report on the work o the Perormance and Resources Board in Report o the Strategy and Policy Board Council noted a report on the work o the Strategy and Policy Board in Any other business 20 Council noted that the next meeting would be held on 25 February 2014, which would be held in London. Conirmed: Peter Rubin, Chair 25 February