Presenting at the PSA conference

Credit: Tom Claes, Unsplash

We were delighted to speak at the 2024 Professional Standards Authority Regulatory Research Conference: Witness to Harm. A central focus of the day was the NIHR-funded project on the experiences of witnesses in Fitness to Practice (FtP) proceedings.

The conference also included sessions focused on other research into improving FtP; regulators’ latest and planned work to address sexual misconduct; and future evidence and research needs in the sector, with a focus on FtP.

Together with the General Medical Council (GMC), we presented an overview of our forthcoming research into public perceptions of FtP thresholds in public confidence cases. Regulatory reform provides the GMC with an opportunity to review these thresholds and so research has been commissioned to better understand the public’s views on where thresholds should sit, both in terms of their thoughts on case examples, but also more broadly to understand why they hold those views.

Whilst similar research has been conducted previously (including research we conducted on behalf of the GMC in 2019), the new project will focus on current attitudes and enable us to look at scenarios that haven’t previously been explored in depth, for example the use (or misuse) of social media and how this interacts with the right to freedom of expression.

The research will include an online forum, extended discussion groups and a quantitative survey. An important first phase will be a rapid evidence review, the findings of which will inform the sample design and the development of scenarios to encourage participants to really think about the thresholds, and potential nuances.

Some of the other presentations at the conference gave us much food for thought and will helpfully inform our review. For example the General Dental Council and Nursing and Midwifery Council presented back findings from their joint research on the concept of seriousness in fitness to practise, with noteworthy topics discussed including ‘making an example’ of registrants, the ‘media test’ (i.e. if written up in the Daily Mail, what would the public think) and ascertaining the views of a ‘reasonable and informed member of the public’.

Some of the presentations from the Conference can be found here: https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/2024-psa-research-conference.

Our research programme for the GMC gets underway in January 2025 and we can’t wait to get started.