The Equality Act and patients with a Lerning Disability or Autism

The request was refused by General Medical Council.

Dear General Medical Council,

This request for information relates to complaints submitted to you regarding the clinical care of people with learning disabilities or autism. Please note this request is not for those patients with a learning disability AND autism, but involves two separate groups.

My questions are:
1)
What training do your Assistant Registrars undergo to adequately comply with the Equality Act (2010) if they are assessing complaints against doctors who have provided clinical care to adult patients with a learning disability or autism? If they undergo no specific training, how are they able to comply with the Equality Act when assessing these complaints?

2)
For the three most recent years for which you have data, how many complaints about doctors providing clinical care to patients with a learning disability or autism have you received?
Of these how many have proceeded to (a) the investigation stage, (b) have resulted in a warning to the doctor concerned, (c) have proceeded to a full MPTS tribunal?

If you do not hold the data requested for question 2, please state how you are able to assess that you are complying with the Equaity Act (2010) for patients with a learning disability or autism.

Yours faithfully,

Ms A.D. Wild

FOI, General Medical Council

Thank you for getting in touch. Please note this is an automated email.

 

We’ll get back to you as soon as we can with a further acknowledgement.
You’ll usually hear from us on the next working day, but it might take a
little longer during busy periods.

 

In the meantime, if you want any further information about the GMC, please
visit our website.

 

 

Thank you

 

Information access team

General Medical Council

Email: [GMC request email]

Telephone: 0161 923 6365

Working with doctors Working for patients

The General Medical Council helps to protect patients and improve medical
education and practice in the UK by setting standards for students and
doctors. We support them in achieving (and exceeding) those standards, and
take action when they are not met.

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FOI, General Medical Council

Dear Ms A.D. Wild

 

Your information request - F17/9230/SW

Thank you for your email dated 08 November 2017.

I’m sorry for the delay in acknowledging your request. This is due to a
significant amount of requests being received.

 

How we will consider your request

We’re going to consider your request under the Freedom of Information Act
2000 (FOIA). The FOIA gives us 20 working days to respond, but we’ll come
back to you as soon as we can.

 

Who to contact

Simon Willis will be handling your request. If you have any questions you
can call him on 0161 923 6310 or email him at [1][email address].

 

 

Yours sincerely

Loredana Cojan

Information Access Assistant

[2][email address]

 

0161 240 8189

 

General Medical Council

3 Hardman Street

Manchester

M3 3AW

 

 

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Simon Willis (0161 923 6310), General Medical Council

Dear Ms Wild,

 

Thank you for your request of 8 November 2017. In order for me to process
your request, I would be most grateful if you could kindly let me know the
section(s) of the Equality Act 2010 which is relevant to your request.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Simon Willis

Information Access Officer

 

 

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Dear Simon Willis (0161 923 6310),

Please clarify your request regarding sections of the Equality Act. I am confused about what information you require in order to process the request.

Disability is a protected characteristic, and autism and learning disabilities fall into his category. The GMC also states it complies with the Equality Act, and it regulates the actions of doctors who work in the NHS which falls under the Public Sector Duty portion of the Equality Act. If Assistant registrars are assessing the complaints regarding the actions of doctors towards patients with autism or learning disabilities and "Good Medical practice" states that doctors must take the needs of patients with disabilities into account and must make reasonable adjustments and not discriminate then this falls under the Equality Act.

Please state clearly what more you require in order to process my request. Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

A.D. Wild

Simon Willis (0161 923 6310), General Medical Council

I am away from the office until 09:00 on 24/11/2017 and will not be able
to attend to your email during this time.  If you have any urgent queries,
please call my direct dial number and a colleague will assist you.

 

Please note that your email has not been forwarded.

Working with doctors Working for patients

The General Medical Council helps to protect patients and improve medical
education and practice in the UK by setting standards for students and
doctors. We support them in achieving (and exceeding) those standards, and
take action when they are not met.

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Simon Willis (0161 923 6310), General Medical Council

Dear Ms Wild,

Thank you for your email.

In your initial request of 8 November 2017, you asked for information about how the GMC Assistant Registrars comply with the Equality Act 2010 when assessing complaints about doctors in respect of care given to adult patients with a learning disability or autism.

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 allows requesters to ask for recorded information held by public authorities and I am not in a position comment on how the Equality Act 2010 applies in specific circumstances.

I am able find out if the Assistant Registrars receives training regarding any part of the Equality Act 2010 but, given that this is a substantial piece of legislation, I appreciate that this is unlikely to be helpful to you.

This is the reason why I asked you to provide me the section(s) of the Equality Act 2010 which is relevant to your request. If you are unfamiliar with the sections, please advise me what aspects of the legislation you are interested in.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

Simon Willis
Information Access Officer
Resources & Quality Assurance Directorate

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Dear Simon Willis (0161 923 6310),

Please respond to the second question of my request.

I withdraw the initial question and will resubmit that with the relevant section of the Equality Act.

Yours sincerely,

A.D. Wild

Simon Willis (0161 923 6310), General Medical Council

1 Attachment

Dear Ms Wild,

Please find attached letter for your kind attention.

Yours sincerely

Simon Willis
Information Access Officer
Resources & Quality Assurance Directorate
Direct Dial: 0161 923 6310
Email: [email address]

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