Primary Source Verification for Overseas Doctors

Business Requirement

The Registration Information team conducts ad hoc verification checks on doctors’ qualifications and experience where there is a requirement to do so, for example where there is a doubt as to the veracity of an individual’s primary medical qualification.

The third party will be contracted to provide these verification services on the GMC’s behalf. A successful verification means confirmation from someone in a position of authority at the issuing institution that a doctor’s qualification is genuine, being gained by that individual at the awarding body in question, on the date claimed. Alternatively, it may mean confirmation from someone in a position of authority at a medical employer that the employment experience the doctor claims to have is genuine.

Verification may be required from any medical school, regulator or employer anywhere in the world. It is important that swift responses are achieved, ideally within four weeks.

Frequency

Volumes of work may vary considerably from month to month depending on business requirements, ranging from one or two requests per month to five or six. Additionally, it is anticipated that a new pilot project to verify the primary medical qualifications of registered doctors who are being investigated for allegations related to dishonesty will commence before the end of 2022, amounting to around ten verifications per month. This project will also involve the verification of the primary medical qualifications of around 300 doctors who have had historic sanctions imposed relating to dishonesty or where there are other factors that mean that verification is indicated.

Services Required

The following outputs will be required:

• High success rate in relation to responses received – contact made with a suitable person at the issuing authority/employer and confirmation as to whether the doctor has the medical qualification(s)/experience they claim to have
• Information provided within short timescales, ideally within four weeks
• Clear and robust audit trail for each verification, with information provided by a person in authority at the verifying organisation.

The GMC will supply information to the organisation undertaking the verification in the form of:

• Confirmation of the doctor’s agreement for the check to be carried out
• A copy of the doctor’s passport (or similar identity document)
• An untranslated copy of the document to be verified.

Information will be exchanged through the GMC’s secure data transfer system called GMC Connect.