Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take legislative steps to end the five year rule on investigating sexual misconduct cases before the House rises for summer recess.

The Government is committed to modernising the regulation of all healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom.

As a first step, on 24 March 2026, we published our Reforming the General Medical Council legislative framework consultation, which sets out proposals to modernise the General Medical Council’s (GMC’s) regulatory framework. The consultation runs until 23 June 2026. More information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/reforming-the-general-medical-council-legislative-framework/reforming-the-general-medical-council-legislative-framework-consultation-document

The draft General Medical Council Order 2026 includes a modernised fitness to practise process for the GMC, which does not enable the GMC to replicate the five-year rule in its fitness to practise rules for doctors.

Subject to the outcome of the consultation and the parliamentary process, the Government expects to lay the General Medical Council Order 2026 later this year.