Thank you for your letter regarding Dr Manjula Arora’s fitness to practice.

We recognise and understand that many doctors and colleagues have concerns about the tribunal’s findings. We take the issues raised by this case extremely seriously and we are committed to listening to and engaging with the profession throughout this process.

We have been informed by Dr Arora’s legal representatives that she intends to exercise her right to appeal the determination. For that reason I cannot comment in too much depth on the specific facts of the referral made to the GMC or how the allegations were dealt with by the tribunal.

We hear very clearly the strong views being expressed about this case, and it is absolutely right that our decisions are open to scrutiny. The GMC must be a regulator able to use its judgment and discretion in how it handles complaints and referrals, and to do that we must be prepared to learn from each and every case which we deal with. As a regulator we are not complacent, and I believe that there is always room to improve the way that we carry out our duties. Accordingly, I have asked for a review of this case to understand whether there are lessons to learn and apply for future cases.

The GMC is committed to tackling discrimination in medicine, and to contributing to conversations to ensure effective progress. We will continue to engage with stakeholders across the UK, and are listening carefully to the concerns that have been raised with us ahead of our next BME forum meeting, which will take place on 23 June 2022. We look forward to discussing the issues raised by this case in more detail at that forum. 

Thank you for taking the time to write. I hope this letter has gone some way to addressing your concerns, and I will make sure you are kept updated.

Yours sincerely
CHARLIE MASSEY