Early resolution begins with leadership

The points at which support can make the most difference occur long before a regulatory process begins.

The GMC’s Fair to Refer? research found that internationally qualified doctors were 2.5 times more likely to be referred by employers than UK-trained doctors, while ethnic minority doctors were more than twice as likely to be referred as their white counterparts. 

Encouragingly, this gap has narrowed in recent years, reflecting sustained work by the GMC and the wider system, but disproportionality has not disappeared. Understanding what happens before referral is therefore critical.

For doctors arriving in the UK, a good induction is one of the strongest protective factors. It is not simply about learning how the NHS works but it is about understanding a new professional culture, communication styles and expectations while feeling welcomed and supported. The GMC’s Welcome to UK Practice programme and wider induction resources provide excellent support at this end of the journey.

Early resolution is, in many ways, the other side of the same coin.

A new workshop with the GMC is helping to equip senior healthcare leaders to recognise concerns early, explore the context around them, communicate effectively across cultures and consider how issues can be addressed fairly and proportionately at a local level.

Participants can expect an interactive session through videos, discussion and opportunities to reflect on how different perspectives and experiences can shape workplace situations. Just as importantly, they will learn from one another and leave with practical approaches they can take back into their own organisations.

We would like to invite senior leaders involved in clinical leadership, medical education, workforce and governance who are involved in the early handling of concerns to join us.

Our NHS is proudly international and as leaders we have a responsibility to ensure its diversity is matched by an environment where every doctor feels valued and supported to thrive. I look forward to welcoming colleagues from across Scotland to the workshop, hosted at the College, this October.

Dr Sai Pillarisetti is General Secretary of the British International Doctors’ Association (BIDA) and Managing Director of the British Institute of Medical Sciences (BIMS) 

The in-person GMC Early Resolution Workshop, hosted by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, takes place on Monday 26 October from 14.00-17.00. It is designed for medical directors, responsible officers, senior clinical leaders, educational leaders, workforce and HR colleagues.

It has been co-produced by the British International Doctors’ Association and supported by the Centre for Remediation and Training.

What do others say about the course?

“It’s a pleasure to work with the College and with BIDA to roll out our new GMC workshop on cross-cultural communication and early resolution. We are blessed with a diverse workforce in healthcare, and it’s important staff are able to work in supportive and culturally safe environments, reducing the risk of harm to them or to their patients. We hope attendees will take away the practical approaches we’ve developed and use them to support compassionate workplace cultures.”

- Ms Tista Chakravarty-Gannon, GMC Head of Outreach, Strategic Delivery and National Engagement

“We greatly enjoyed and valued the Early Resolution Workshop that we held at the Royal Liverpool Hospital in October 2025. We brought together a mix of senior doctors, including the CMO and site MDs, the RO, appraisal and professional standard leads, education leads and colleagues in Human Resources.

“We see the subject matter as critically important and a constant challenge, so the wisdom and advice from and through the workshop was and remains very important to us. A great opportunity to work and think as a multi-professional team with highly skilled and relevant colleagues from BIDA and the GMC on our own cultural awareness and ways in which we can support all of our doctors, from wherever in the world, to succeed.”

- Dr Jim Gardner, Group Chief Medical Officer (2022 – 2026), University Hospitals Liverpool Group (UHLG)