This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 'Dr Eia Asen'.




  
24 October 2013 
 
 
 
 
Our ref: F13/5745/SL 
 
 
 
By Email to: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dear Ms Knight, 
 
Information request review  
 
Thank you for your email dated 26 September 2013 seeking clarification of our response 
to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). 
 
I agree with my colleague Sarah Leigh that you are not requesting recorded information in 
your request.  The FOIA gives anyone the right to access recorded information (such as 
printed documents, letters, statistics and emails) held by public authorities.  I would draw 
your attention to page 3 of the general FOI guidance published by the Information 
Commissioner.  I have provided a link to the guidance below: 
 
http://www.ico.org.uk/for_organisations/guidance_index/~/media/documents/library/Free
dom_of_Information/Detailed_specialist_guides/guide_to_freedom_of_information.pdf  
 
However, we have attempted to assist you, beyond the obligations set out under FOIA, by 
providing you with responses to the hypothetical situations you describe.   
 
1. Please kindly confirm if you are stating in your above quoted first paragraph that it 
is completely acceptable to the GMC that doctors registered with them can use 
completely different and unrelated names to the name with which they are registered; 
or is it only acceptable for them to use a varied, familiar, or shortened form of the 
name with which they are registered for example Mike, Mick, Mickey etc for Michael? 
 
And 
 
2. Please kindly confirm that what you have stated in your above quoted second 
paragraph is that it is not acceptable to the GMC for doctors to use a completely 
different name from the one with which they are registered in writing prescription and 
signing statutory documents even if they may use these different/familiar [whichever 
is applicable to your response to question 1 above] names with patients and 
colleagues. 
 
 
  

 
 
 
 
 
If a doctor was using a completely different and unrelated name to their registered name 
to sign statutory documents, with an intention to mislead then that would be a breach of 
our guidance. All doctors registered with the GMC must comply with the standards set out 
in Good Medical Practice.   
 
We believe the following paragraphs of the GMP are relevant to your query above: 
 
Paragraph 64: If someone you have contact with in your professional role asks for 
your registered name and/or GMC reference number, you must give this 
information to them. 
 
Paragraph 68: You must be honest and trustworthy in all your communication with 
patients and colleagues.  
 
Paragraph 71: You must be honest and trustworthy when writing reports, and when 
completing or signing forms...You must make sure that any documents you write or 
sign are not false or misleading. 
 
We have also published specific guidance for doctors regarding this issue on our website: 
http://www.gmc-uk.org/doctors/information_for_doctors/doctors_registration_number.asp  
 
3. In the event that a doctor signs statutory documents with different names other 
than the name with which he is registered, what is the GMC's position in protecting the 
public in this instance? 
 
We are not able to confirm what action the GMC would take in any particular given 
scenario.  All complaints are assessed on an individual basis and the circumstances of each 
case are different. 
 
4. Please kindly confirm if you are stating that the GMC does not keep record of these 
sorts of behaviour/improbities on the part of its registered doctors - if that is the case, 
can you please tell us the public, why the GMC would not keep such an important 
record and the statistics of such incidents? 
 
I have reviewed Ms Leigh’s responses to you and I do not believe she has stated that the 
GMC does not keep a record of complaints about registered doctors.  I can confirm that 
within our case management system we record details of allegations made against doctors 
and link these to the relevant sections within Good Medical Practice. 
 
I hope you find the additional information useful. You do have a further right of appeal to 
the Information Commissioner, the regulator of the DPA and the FOIA. Their contact 
details are as follows:  
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Information Commissioner’s Office 
Wycliffe House  
Water Lane 
Wilmslow  
Cheshire  
SK9 5AF  
 
Tel. no: 0303 123 1113 
Email: xxxx@xxx.xxx.xxx.xx  
 
Please let me know if you have any questions. 
 
Yours sincerely 
 
Courtney Brucato 
Information Access Officer 
Tel. no: 0161 923 6692 
Email: xxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxx  
 
 
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