Good Medical Practice Standards Compass
If you searched “Good Medical Practice General Medical Council NHS GP,” the important first answer is this: it is not a GP surgery, phone number, appointment page or CQC rating. It is the GMC’s professional standards guidance for registered medical professionals.
This guide explains the four domains, what “must” and “should” mean, how patients can use the standards safely, how doctors use them in practice, and which official website to open for each task.
Good Medical Practice Is Not an NHS GP Surgery
This title can confuse users because it contains “Good,” “Medical Practice,” “GMC” and “NHS GP.” Here is the clear difference.
What Are You Trying to Do?
Choose the closest task. This avoids using the GMC guidance page when you actually need a GP appointment, CQC rating, NHS profile or official concern route.
Understand professional standards
Use Good Medical Practice to understand what the GMC expects from doctors, PAs and AAs.
Check a doctor or professional
Use the GMC register to check registration status, role and useful register information.
Find an NHS GP surgery
Good Medical Practice will not tell you a local GP phone number. Use the NHS GP search for real surgery details.
Check if a GP surgery is rated Good
Use CQC, not the GMC guidance, to read a GP service rating and inspection information in England.
Raise a concern
Use the GMC concern route for serious concerns about a doctor, PA or AA that may affect patient safety or public confidence.
Need urgent medical help?
Do not use GMC standards pages for symptoms. Use NHS 111 or 999 depending on urgency.
The Four GMC Good Medical Practice Domains
The guidance is divided into four equally important domains. Together, they describe what good professional practice should look like in patient care, teamwork and public trust.
Knowledge, skills and development
Competence, working within limits, providing good care, keeping skills current and using resources responsibly.
Patients, partnership and communication
Dignity, kindness, informed decisions, information sharing, safeguarding, emergencies and being open if things go wrong.
Colleagues, culture and safety
Respectful teamwork, fair culture, continuity of care, safe delegation, clear records and responding to safety risks.
Trust and professionalism
Honesty, integrity, boundaries, conflicts of interest, communication and cooperation with legal/regulatory requirements.
The Duties in Plain English
The GMC duties page summarises what patients and professionals should expect. This is a practical version, not a replacement for the official wording.
Make patients the first concern
Professional decisions should put patient care, dignity and safety at the centre.
Stay competent
Professionals should work within competence and keep knowledge and skills up to date.
Work with patients
Patients should be listened to and supported to make informed decisions about care.
Protect information
Patient information should be protected from improper disclosure.
Work safely with colleagues
Professionals should share knowledge, collaborate, raise concerns and act when safety is at risk.
Be honest and trustworthy
Honesty, integrity, openness and public trust are central professional expectations.
What “You Must” and “You Should” Mean
The GMC explains that Good Medical Practice is not a simple checklist. Professionals must use judgement in the specific situation they face.
“You must”
This is used for a legal or ethical duty that the professional is expected to meet, or be able to justify why they did not.
“You should”
This is used when the duty or principle usually applies, but the professional may need to use judgement depending on context.
Domain 1: Knowledge, Skills and Development
This domain is about safe competence, clinical care, learning and improvement.
Work within competence
Professionals must recognise limits and practise under appropriate supervision for their role, knowledge, skills and training.
Keep up to date
Professionals must keep up with guidelines, developments and regulations that affect their work.
Assess patients properly
Clinical care should consider symptoms, history, patient views, needs, values and relevant psychological, social, cultural or economic factors.
Improve performance
Reflection, feedback and evidence should help professionals develop insight and improve practice.
Domain 2: Patients, Partnership and Communication
This domain matters to patients because it describes how respectful, understandable and shared care should feel.
Listen and involve
Patients should be listened to and supported to understand options and make informed decisions.
Kindness and respect
The guidance emphasises kindness, courtesy, dignity and respect.
Share information
Information should be shared in a way the patient can understand and use.
Safeguarding
Professionals must consider children and adults at risk of harm.
Emergencies
The standards include helping in emergencies where appropriate.
When things go wrong
Being open if things go wrong is a key expectation.
Domain 3: Colleagues, Culture and Safety
Safe patient care depends on respectful teams, clear communication and a culture where people can speak up.
Respect colleagues
Professionals must treat colleagues with kindness, courtesy and respect.
Communicate clearly
Clear, polite and considerate communication helps teams work safely.
Continuity of care
Relevant information should be shared when care is transferred, delegated or continued by another team.
Delegate safely
Tasks should only be delegated when the person has the necessary knowledge, skills and training.
Act on safety risks
Professionals must act promptly if patient safety or dignity is seriously compromised.
Health and wellbeing
Professionals should take action if their own health may affect fitness to work safely.
Domain 4: Trust and Professionalism
This domain protects patient trust and public confidence in medical professions.
Honesty and integrity
Conduct should justify patient and public trust.
Registered name and number
If asked in a professional context, a professional must give their registered name and/or GMC reference number.
Explain role
Professionals should be honest about experience, qualifications and current role, and explain their role in care.
Boundaries
Professional boundaries must be maintained.
Financial honesty
The guidance includes honesty in financial and commercial dealings.
Cooperate with requirements
Legal and regulatory requirements must be respected.
How Patients Can Use Good Medical Practice Safely
Patients do not need to memorise the guidance. Use it to describe concerns clearly and understand what professional care should look like.
Clarify the issue
Is the concern about communication, dignity, honesty, safety, consent, records, discrimination, conduct or ongoing risk?
Use the right route first
Many appointment, admin, access and service complaints should start with the practice, hospital or NHS complaints route, not directly with the GMC.
Use GMC when risk is serious
The GMC looks at concerns where patient safety or public confidence may be at risk because of a professional’s behaviour, health or performance.
How Doctors, PAs and AAs Use the Standards
The GMC says professionals are responsible for being familiar with Good Medical Practice wherever they practise and whatever their field or setting.
Daily practice
Use the standards to guide decisions, communication, documentation, delegation, disclosure and safety actions.
Reflection
Use feedback, evidence and reflection to build professional insight and improve practice.
Appraisal
Future appraisal structure needs to align with the four domains: knowledge, patients, colleagues and trust.
GMC Good Medical Practice vs CQC Good Rating vs NHS GP Profile
These three sources answer different questions. Mixing them up creates bad user experience and incorrect SEO intent.
Complaints and GMC Concerns: Which Route Is Right?
A poor appointment experience and a serious fitness-to-practise concern are not the same route. Use this guide before submitting a concern.
Start with the service for access/admin issues
For appointment delays, phone queues, prescription admin or local service problems, start with the GP practice, hospital or NHS complaints route unless there is a serious professional-risk issue.
Use CQC for service-quality concerns
If the concern is about a regulated service’s quality, safety, staffing, leadership or environment, CQC may be the more relevant service regulator.
Use GMC for professional-risk concerns
GMC concerns are for issues involving doctors, PAs or AAs that may put patient safety or public confidence at risk.
Prepare evidence
Include dates, names, GMC reference number if known, letters, records, witnesses, complaint history and why the concern is serious or ongoing.
Check a Doctor, Physician Associate or Anaesthesia Associate
The GMC register lets you search for registered professionals and view registration status and other useful information.
Search by name
Use the official GMC register if you only know the professional’s name.
Search by GMC number
If you have the GMC reference number, use it for a more precise search.
GP or specialist register
The register can help identify whether a doctor is on the GP register or specialist register where applicable.
Good Medical Practice Route Planner
Choose your intent and get the safest official route. This runs in your browser only and does not send information anywhere.
Select your task above.
Copy-and-Use Scripts
Ask for GMC registration details
Please can you confirm your registered name and GMC reference number so I can check I am using the correct professional details?Describe a communication concern
My concern is about communication and shared decision-making. On ______, I felt I was not given clear information about ______. I would like this reviewed against the relevant professional standards.Describe a safety concern
I am raising this because I believe there may be an ongoing patient-safety risk. The professional involved was ______. The date was ______. The evidence I have is ______.GP surgery access complaint
I am complaining about service access, not individual professional fitness to practise. The issue was ______ on ______. I tried ______. I would like the practice to explain ______.Official Action Links
Use these official links after you know which route fits your need. This article explains the difference first so users do not confuse GMC guidance with GP surgery access.
Related MedicalGroupUK Guides
These related guides help separate professional standards from real GP surgery access and service ratings.
Good Medical Practice General Medical Council FAQs
What is Good Medical Practice?
Good Medical Practice is the General Medical Council’s professional standards guidance for doctors, physician associates and anaesthesia associates registered with the GMC.
Is Good Medical Practice an NHS GP surgery?
No. It is guidance, not a GP surgery. It does not have one address, reception phone number, appointment form or map.
Who publishes Good Medical Practice?
It is published by the General Medical Council.
When did the current Good Medical Practice guidance come into effect?
The current version came into effect for doctors on 30 January 2024. It was updated on 13 December 2024 when GMC regulation of physician associates and anaesthesia associates came into effect.
Who does Good Medical Practice apply to?
It applies to doctors, physician associates and anaesthesia associates registered with the GMC.
What are the four domains of Good Medical Practice?
The four domains are Knowledge, skills and development; Patients, partnership and communication; Colleagues, culture and safety; and Trust and professionalism.
What is Domain 1 about?
Domain 1 is about competence, good clinical care, keeping knowledge and skills up to date, development and responsible use of resources.
What is Domain 2 about?
Domain 2 is about treating patients fairly, communicating clearly, supporting decisions, safeguarding, emergencies and being open if things go wrong.
What is Domain 3 about?
Domain 3 is about colleagues, culture, safety, teamwork, continuity of care, safe delegation, accurate records and responding to safety risks.
What is Domain 4 about?
Domain 4 is about trust, professionalism, honesty, integrity, boundaries, conflicts of interest and legal or regulatory cooperation.
What does “you must” mean in GMC guidance?
“You must” is used for a legal or ethical duty that the professional is expected to meet or justify why they did not.
What does “you should” mean in GMC guidance?
“You should” is used when a duty or principle will usually apply, but the professional may need to use judgement depending on the circumstances.
Is Good Medical Practice a rule book?
No. GMC says it is a framework of professional standards and must be applied using professional judgement in the specific situation.
Is GMC Good Medical Practice the same as a CQC Good rating?
No. GMC Good Medical Practice is professional standards guidance. A CQC Good rating is a service-quality rating for a regulated healthcare provider such as a GP surgery.
How do I check if a GP surgery is rated Good?
Use the Care Quality Commission website and search for the exact GP surgery or provider.
How do I find a real NHS GP surgery?
Use the official NHS Find a GP service and search by postcode, town or surgery name.
How can I check a doctor’s registration?
Use the official GMC register and search by name or GMC reference number.
Can I ask a doctor for their GMC number?
Yes. GMC standards say that if a patient, colleague or another person asks for a registered name and/or GMC reference number in a professional context, the professional must give it.
Can patients use Good Medical Practice in a complaint?
Yes. Patients can use it to describe concerns about communication, dignity, honesty, safety or professionalism. The correct complaint route depends on the issue.
When should I raise a concern with the GMC?
Use the GMC route when the concern about a doctor, PA or AA may pose a risk to patient safety or public confidence in the profession.
Should every GP complaint go to the GMC?
No. Appointment access, service admin, local delays or practice-process complaints often start with the practice, NHS complaints route or CQC depending on the issue.
Does a CQC Good rating guarantee fast GP appointments?
No. A Good rating does not guarantee same-day appointments, no phone queues or immediate online access. Check the official practice website for current rules.
Does Good Medical Practice give medical advice?
No. It explains professional standards. For urgent health advice use NHS 111, and for life-threatening emergencies call 999.
Is this the official GMC website?
No. This is an independent MedicalGroupUK.org guide. Use the official GMC website for live standards, register searches and concern submissions.