Lay Advocacy Services

The Fitness to Practise Directorate is responsible for considering complaints about doctors Physician Associates (PAs) and Anaesthesia Associations (AAs). Anyone can bring a complaint directly to the GMC, including organisations, registrants, patients and their families.(For the purposes of this document a user of the lay advocacy service will be referred to as an individual.) Although we encourage these complaints to be put in writing, there are times when that is not possible or they experience difficulties putting their complaint in writing. Where this is the case, we require an independent lay advocacy service to assist in taking the complaints verbally. The lay advocacy service will also assist and engage with individuals throughout the investigation process where required.

The aims of the service are to:

• support individuals with a range of communication needs who may experience difficulties accessing and participating in our fitness to practise processes;
• improve the experience of individuals who would benefit from support advocacy to engage with the GMC;
• support more effective and meaningful interactions with individuals who may be vulnerable or have additional communication needs;
• Support the needs of individuals who may require additional communication support as an adjustment in line with the Equality Act 2010.