Register check
Check a doctor's GMC number
Every doctor practising in the UK must be registered with the General Medical Council and has a 7-digit GMC reference number. You can check a doctor two ways: search MedicWatch's archive below, then verify the current position on the GMC's own register.
Searches MedicWatch's archive of UK doctors and published regulator decisions. Try a surname or a 7-digit GMC number.
Verify on the official register
MedicWatch is an independent archive. The GMC’s own register is the canonical, up-to-date record.
Search the GMC registerWhat is a GMC number?
A GMC number is a 7-digit reference the General Medical Council gives to every doctor registered to practise in the UK. It is unique to that doctor and does not change, even if they move employer or specialty.
You can usually find a doctor's GMC number on a prescription, a clinic letterhead, or a practice website. By law, a doctor must give you their GMC number if you ask for it directly.
How to check the GMC register yourself
- Go to the GMC's online register (link above) and enter the doctor's name or 7-digit GMC number. Searching by number is more reliable, because names can repeat.
- Check the licence-to-practise line on their entry. A doctor without a current licence cannot prescribe, sign sick notes, or treat NHS patients, even if they remain on the register.
- Check whether the entry shows any fitness-to-practise notes, such as conditions, undertakings, or a suspension, and read the linked determination for the regulator's own account.
What the different statuses mean
The GMC register shows one of the following statuses for each doctor:
- Registered with a licence to practise — the doctor can currently practise medicine in the UK
- Registered without a licence to practise — the doctor is on the register but cannot currently practise
- Suspended — a fitness-to-practise decision has paused the doctor's registration for a fixed period
- Erased ("struck off") — the doctor has been removed from the register and cannot practise
- Voluntary erasure — the doctor asked to be removed from the register, sometimes during a fitness-to-practise case
Frequently asked questions
What is a GMC number?
A GMC number is a 7-digit reference the General Medical Council gives to every doctor registered to practise in the UK. It's unique to that doctor and is used to identify them on the medical register.
What does it mean if a doctor has no MedicWatch entry?
MedicWatch indexes publicly published register entries and regulator decisions. No public regulatory determinations found for a practitioner means exactly that — check the GMC register for the current registration position.
Does appearing on MedicWatch mean a doctor did something wrong?
No. The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service publishes a range of outcomes, including cases where no impairment was found. Each profile states what the tribunal decided, with a link to the source document.