The brief
The General Medical Council (GMC) wanted to collect qualitative input from the general public on their perception of the GMC’s regulatory reforms.
Changes in legislation have seen the passing of the Anaesthesia Associates and Physicians Associates Order, allowing these professionals to be regulated for the first time. Reform of legislation governing other professionals in healthcare will follow.
The research sought to gather perceptions from the general public, to gain insight from individuals whose views may not have been fully captured from another consultation on the topic.
The approach
- Shift worked with the GMC to develop a complex sample framework that met a range of protected characteristics, to ensure representation of a diverse range of people.
- Shift conducted 6 online focus groups, organised by age, to capture generational differences in experiences of the healthcare system and perceptions of the reforms.
- We also conducted 14 online in-depth interviews with individuals from groups often underrepresented in consultations.
- Before fieldwork took place, Shift worked alongside the GMC, co-creating a pre-read document that clearly and understandably laid out the changes for the participants, which then formed the basis of the semi-structured discussions.
- We also ran a number of internal sessions with the GMC, presenting interim findings and aligning with the GMC on analysis needs and reporting requirements.
The value
- This research supplements the previous technical consultation by the GMC, which gathered views from anaesthesia associates and physicians associates, doctors and a variety of organisations, seeking greater engagement from the general public – in particular those whose perceptions have not previously been heard.
- The interviews and focus groups helped develop key themes and detailed understanding of public views on the regulatory reforms by making the consultation topics easier to engage with and hearing from those who may not have necessarily engaged with the wider consultation.
- The public report can be found here.
