GCC business continuity in light of coronavirus (COVID-19)

With the current coronavirus pandemic, we have taken action to manage any implications of the outbreak on our work.

We must continue to meet our statutory obligations, and to do so as effectively as possible, taking account of Government and public health guidance. Our priority is the health and safety of patients – and of registrants, education providers and students and our own staff who will be working in demanding circumstances.

We must do everything we can to protect ourselves, colleagues and our families, while we continue to deliver our work.

Our office is now closed for the foreseeable future with all staff working from home. Further to recent investment in technology and ways of working we are prepared to continue to deliver the majority of our services over the coming weeks and months.

There is no change in the people our stakeholders usually deal with; the arrangements for contacting us (telephone numbers and email addresses are unchanged); most committees and meetings will take place using conferencing facilities; and we do not anticipate any changes to finance arrangements including supplier payments.

In most ways our work will continue as now.

Registration	Fitness to practise	Education
We continue to process registration applications as normal CPD – audit of 2019 returns is ongoing CPD expectations remain unchanged. We will, of course, take a proportionate approach to this year’s CPD as there are over five months of the current CPD year left.	Receiving new concerns and progressing cases Listing interim orders and reviews of substantive orders Investigating Committee meetings	Programme approvals Concluding annual monitoring Receiving and reviewing new programmes
*We are currently recruiting two registrant Members of Council, with a closing date of 30 March 2020. We look forward to taking applications forward as normal.

In some areas we have made changes:

Professional conduct hearings: We have recently informed stakeholders that the GCC, as other regulatory bodies, will not be holding any Professional Conduct Panels due to take place between 23 March 2020 and 29 May 2020. These will be cancelled. In a small number of cases, urgent hearings or applications will proceed where necessary. These may be dealt with remotely.
Test of Competence (ToC): We have decided that the next ToC panel meeting scheduled for 26 March be postponed to June 2020.
Post: Please do not send any postal correspondence to the GCC office until further notice. In urgent circumstances please notify us that a postal delivery has to be made so that arrangements for collection can be made.

These are fast changing times, and we will do our best to keep you up to date with all the information you need. This page will be updated with further changes as required.