GMC Good Medical Practice & Professional Standards Flashcards
7 cards from real PLAB 2 practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 GMC Good Medical Practice & Professional Standards flashcards as text
A doctor is asked by a medical research team to access clinical records of their own patients to identify potential research participants without patient consent. What should the doctor do?
Answer: Decline to provide identifiable data without patient consent or appropriate ethical and legal authority
Patient data cannot be used for research without either patient consent or a legal basis approved by the relevant ethics committee, even when the research may have broader benefits.
What does the GMC mean by 'working collaboratively' with colleagues?
Answer: Communicating clearly, treating colleagues with respect, contributing to team work, and supporting the development of less experienced colleagues
GMC Good Medical Practice describes working collaboratively as involving mutual respect, clear communication, and supporting and developing colleagues to improve patient care.
A patient complains formally about the care they received from a doctor. According to GMC guidance, how should the doctor respond?
Answer: Engage with the complaints process honestly and constructively, and use the experience to reflect and improve practice
GMC guidance requires doctors to respond honestly and constructively to complaints, to reflect on what happened, and to treat the experience as an opportunity to learn and improve.
Under GMC guidance, what is a doctor's responsibility when delegating tasks to other healthcare professionals?
Answer: The delegating doctor must ensure the person they delegate to has the skills, knowledge and experience to carry out the task safely
GMC Good Medical Practice states that when delegating, doctors retain a responsibility to ensure the person they delegate to is competent to perform the task, and overall accountability is not extinguished by delegation.
A doctor discovers that a colleague has been falsifying patient records to cover up a clinical error. What is the most appropriate action?
Answer: Report the concern to the clinical governance team, medical director or via the trust's whistleblowing policy without delay
Falsifying records is a serious breach of GMC standards that puts patients at risk; the GMC requires doctors to raise such concerns promptly through appropriate channels regardless of personal consequences.
What is the GMC's guidance regarding a doctor treating a member of their immediate family?
Answer: Wherever possible, avoid treating family members and ensure they are registered with and seen by another doctor
GMC guidance advises against treating family members because personal relationships can compromise clinical objectivity and lead to poorer care, and encourages doctors to arrange for their family to have access to independent medical care.
A doctor is involved in a significant adverse event. The trust's risk management team asks the doctor to write a reflective account for the Serious Incident review. What does GMC guidance state about this?
Answer: Reflective accounts written for governance purposes are protected under duty of candour and should be honest and learning-focused
GMC guidance supports open and honest reflection as part of the learning culture following adverse events, and emphasises that reflective practice is a professional requirement that should not be discouraged by fears of legal or regulatory consequences.