Charlie Massey named new GMC chief executive

THE new chief executive of the General Medical Council has been named as Charlie Massey.

He will take over from Niall Dickson when he steps down later this year after seven years in the role.

Mr Massey is currently the Director General of Strategy and External Relations at the Department of Health in England. He has previously held a number of senior roles at the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Treasury and Number 10, and as an executive director at the Pensions Regulator.

The regulator said Mr Massey would build on reforms introduced by his predecessor. These include an expansion of its responsibilities for medical education and training, the introduction of revalidation in 2012, the introduction of language checks for doctors from Europe in 2014, and the establishment of the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service to separate the GMC’s investigation of complaints and the adjudication of hearings.

GMC Chair Professor Terence Stephenson welcomed Mr Massey and said he would bring “a wealth of experience” to the organisation. He paid tribute to Niall Dickson who he said had helped the regulator move “significantly to become a patient safety organisation.”

He also highlighted plans to take forward a “number of ambitious projects” that would help the GMC become “more responsive to the context in which doctors work, imposes fewer burdens on doctors and the healthcare system and does more to support doctors with the professional challenges they face during their careers.

Mr Massey said he was “delighted” to be joining the GMC, adding that he would: “work closely with doctors across all four countries of the UK, at all stages of their training and careers, to promote the highest standards of medical practice.”