DHSC and NHS England implementation update provided to the Thirlwall Inquiry (April 2025). This is the government's own account of progress, submitted to the inquiry. Reviewed extent of implementation: Implemented – Ongoing. In the GMC's quality assurance processes, training visits make a very important contribution to the protection of patients. Every year, the GMC ask each LETB and Deanery to outline how they meet the GMC's standards in Promoting Excellence through completion and submission of a self-assessment questionnaire. The GMC then analyse this questionnaire and conduct various quality activities with each organisation to do a deeper dive into areas outlined in their self-assessment. The GMC does quality activities such as talking to students/trainees and educators, visits, looking at evidence from other bodies and data analysis. This allows it to check on how an organisation is addressing areas of concern and to identify areas of good practice. The GMC may set requirements and recommendations to drive improvements and to ensure the timely identification and resolution of issues including patient safety concerns. It produces an annual summary of quality activity for the organisation which is published. The other type of training visits it has is via the enhanced monitoring process. When a concern is escalated to enhanced monitoring, it will attend at least one locally organised visit (organised by the LETB/Deanery) per year to the trust or department to do a more thorough check on the progress of the concern(s). In between these visits, the GMC gets regular updates on progress from the LETB or Deanery during meetings, via the quality reporting system, via trust improvement/ action plans and via other quality activities. Please see response to recommendation 152 above.

GMC medical revalidation launched December 2012. All licensed doctors must demonstrate fitness to practise every five years through appraisal and evidence. Francis Report endorsed and recommended strengthening revalidation.