Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that societal groups, such as young women and girls, who present a-typical symptoms do not receive delayed diagnosis because standard symptoms are based on other societal groups.

The General Medical Council’s (GMC) Good Medical Practice Guidance sets out that “good medical professionals recognise that patients are individuals with diverse needs, and don’t make assumptions about the options or outcomes a patient will prefer. They listen to patients and work in partnership with them”.

The standard of training for doctors is the responsibility of the GMC. They set the outcome standards expected at undergraduate level and approve courses and medical schools to write and teach the curricula content that enables their students to meet the GMC’s outcome standards. The GMC also approves the training and curricula for post-graduate specialty training.

All United Kingdom registered doctors are expected to meet the professional standards set out in the GMC’s Good Medical Practice. In 2012 the GMC introduced revalidation which supports doctors in regularly reflecting on how they can develop or improve their practice, gives patients confidence doctors are up to date with their practice, and promotes improved quality of care by driving improvements in clinical governance.