Concerns about doctors submitted to GMC jumped by 25% last year

GMC

By Erin Dean

The number of fitness to practise concerns about doctors submitted to the GMC increased by 25% in a year.

The jump from 10,769 concerns in 2024 to 13,645 in 2025 is the third year in a row the number has increased and the largest increase for 20 years, the regulator said.

The vast majority of the concerns, more than 10,700, came from members of the public – and were up by almost 30% over the previous year.

That is consistent with the steady rise in public complaints over recent years, although the numbers is particularly high this year, the regulator said.

Other healthcare regulators have reported similar trends and while the causes are not known, are likely to be due to a number of factors, the GMC said.

“Increased awareness of regulatory routes and the way to raise concerns is likely to be an important factor, alongside wider changes in healthcare delivery and patient experience,” the GMC said in their annual report on FtP statistics.