Doctors must be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) to practise medicine in the United Kingdom.
It is the responsibility of individual employers to carry out pre and post-appointment registration checks on employees. Processes are in place to prevent unsuitable people from gaining employment in the national health service. Employers should undertake a variety of checks before someone is offered an NHS post including verification of identity, confirmation with professional regulatory bodies and criminal records bureau checks on staff who have access to patients in the normal course of their work.