{"id":7320,"date":"2026-10-06T21:51:11","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T21:51:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/how-employers-verify-doctors\/"},"modified":"2026-10-06T21:54:00","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T21:54:00","slug":"how-employers-verify-doctors","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/uk\/how-employers-verify-doctors\/","title":{"rendered":"How employers verify a doctor before hiring"},"content":{"rendered":"<nav class=\"crumbs\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\"><a href=\"\/uk\/\">Home<\/a> \u203a How employers verify doctors<\/nav>\n<p><span class=\"kicker\">For employers<\/span><\/p>\n<h1>How employers verify a doctor before hiring<\/h1>\n<div class=\"answer\"><strong>Short answer:<\/strong> The GMC says employers must hire or contract only with doctors they can identify and who have the right status on the register for the role. The public register shows status, and the GMC&#8217;s Employer Liaison Service helps employers and healthcare providers with pre-employment checks.<\/div>\n<p class=\"meta\">Last reviewed: <time datetime=\"2026-10-05\">2026-10-05<\/time> \u00b7 By <a href=\"\/uk\/authors\/\">Mark Dent<\/a><\/p>\n<nav class=\"toc\" aria-label=\"On this page\"><strong>On this page<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#s1\">What to look for on the register<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#s2\">The identity step<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#s3\">An order that works in practice<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#s4\">Doctors with restrictions, and who to ask<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#s5\">What a register check cannot do<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#faq\">Frequently asked questions<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<div class=\"keyfacts\"><strong>Key facts, read from the GMC&#8217;s employing a doctor guide on 5 October 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The GMC&#8217;s rule for employers is to hire or contract only with doctors you can identify and who have the right status on the register for the role.<\/li>\n<li>A GMC reference number is seven digits, but having one does not mean the doctor is currently on the register.<\/li>\n<li>A registration certificate, proof of entry or a confirmation letter is not proof of identity.<\/li>\n<li>Employers should keep checking after hiring, because doctors can be erased for administrative reasons such as an unpaid retention fee.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"s1\">What to look for on the register<\/h2>\n<p>The GMC says that when you search its medical register you should ask six questions, shown here as a checklist you can keep with the hiring file.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"check\">\n<li>Does the doctor hold registration?<\/li>\n<li>Do they hold a licence to practise?<\/li>\n<li>Do their type of registration and licence allow the post you are filling?<\/li>\n<li>Do any conditions, warnings or restrictions apply?<\/li>\n<li>Does the GMC reference number they gave you match the register entry?<\/li>\n<li>Are you sure of their identity?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For a GP post the guide adds a check of the GP Register and the relevant performers list. For a consultant post it adds the Specialist Register. It also advises checking English proficiency, and points to NHS Employers&#8217; guidance for the other pre-employment checks.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"s2\">The identity step<\/h2>\n<p>The guide says you must make your own identity checks, for example by asking for an original passport or original EEA identity card. It lists three things that do not count as proof of identity: a registration certificate, proof of entry on the register, and a letter confirming that a doctor is registered, with or without a licence. The GMC holds photographs for many doctors registered since 2004 and 2005, depending on the route, and will send a copy on request, aiming to answer within four working days. If you doubt a doctor&#8217;s identity, you can contact the GMC.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"s3\">An order that works in practice<\/h2>\n<ol class=\"steps\">\n<li>Meet the doctor and check their original identity document against the person in front of you.<\/li>\n<li>Search the GMC register using the reference number and the name, and match both.<\/li>\n<li>Record the registration status, licence status and any conditions, with the date you looked.<\/li>\n<li>Compare the registration type with the post, including GP or specialist register requirements.<\/li>\n<li>Complete English, qualification and reference checks under your usual NHS or employer standards.<\/li>\n<li>Diarise repeat checks of status for as long as they work for you.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 id=\"s4\">Doctors with restrictions, and who to ask<\/h2>\n<p>A doctor with publicly available restrictions must disclose them to you and to their responsible officer. Where restrictions or requirements apply, you or the responsible officer must check that the doctor complies with GMC conditions and undertakings. If your organisation has no responsible officer, the doctor must name someone with the right experience, and the GMC must approve the arrangement before work starts. The GMC&#8217;s Employer Liaison Service gives help to employers and healthcare providers, and there is a responsible officer hub with tools and guidance.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"s5\">What a register check cannot do<\/h2>\n<p>A register shows a status, not the truth behind how it was obtained. The CPS reports that Zholia Alemi forged qualifications to get on the register and then worked as an NHS psychiatrist for over twenty years; a confiscation order of &pound;406,624 was made against her. That is why identity checks, references you chase yourself and repeat checks matter. More cases are on <a href=\"\/uk\/fake-doctor-cases-uk\/\">fake doctor cases<\/a>, the public-facing steps are on <a href=\"\/uk\/check-gmc-registration\/\">how to check GMC registration<\/a>, and nurses are covered at <a href=\"\/uk\/how-to-check-nmc-registration\/\">how to check NMC registration<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"faq\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<details>\n<summary>What must an employer check before hiring a doctor?<\/summary>\n<p>The GMC says to hire only doctors you can identify and who have the right status on the register for the role. Check registration, licence to practise, restrictions, that the reference number matches, and identity, then complete the other pre-employment checks, including English.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>Is a GMC reference number enough to prove registration?<\/summary>\n<p>No. The GMC says having a seven-digit reference number does not mean the doctor is currently on the register. You must search the register and check that the number belongs to the person you want to employ. Match the number to the name, the registration status and the licence details shown on the public register.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>What does not count as proof of identity?<\/summary>\n<p>The GMC lists a registration certificate, proof of entry on the register, and a letter or confirmation that a doctor is registered with or without a licence. Employers should ask for an original passport or another original identity document. The GMC also holds photographs of many registered doctors and will send a copy if you doubt who you are dealing with.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>Should checks continue after the doctor starts work?<\/summary>\n<p>Yes. The GMC advises regular checks because doctors can be erased for administrative reasons such as not paying the annual retention fee or not keeping their address up to date. A doctor removed from the register must not work until restored. Employers with access to the NHS Electronic Staff Record or the GMC download service can use them to spot changes.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>Where can employers get help from the GMC?<\/summary>\n<p>The GMC runs an Employer Liaison Service for employers and healthcare providers, a responsible officer hub, and will send a copy of the photograph it holds for many registered doctors. It aims to reply to such requests within four working days. The GMC&#8217;s pre-employment guidance is the official source for the full list of checks.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<div class=\"related\">\n<h2>Keep reading<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"\/uk\/check-gmc-registration\/\">How to check the GMC register<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/uk\/fake-doctor-cases-uk\/\">Fake doctor cases<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/uk\/qualification-scams\/\">All qualification scams<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/uk\/plab-test-explained\/\">The PLAB test<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/uk\/fake-nurse-consequences\/\">Fake nurses and the law<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sources\">\n<h2>Sources and official links<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gmc-uk.org\/registration-and-licensing\/employers-and-other-organisations\/doctors-employers-royal-colleges-and-medical-schools\/employing-a-doctor\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">GMC: employing a doctor<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gmc-uk.org\/registration-and-licensing\/employers-and-other-organisations\/doctors-employers-royal-colleges-and-medical-schools\/the-plab-test\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">GMC: the PLAB test (information for employers)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/cps.gov.uk\/cps\/news\/fake-doctor-has-been-ordered-pay-back-ps406624-nhs-fraud-and-forgery-offending\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">CPS: fake doctor ordered to pay back \u00a3406,624<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author\"><strong>About the author<\/strong><br \/>Written by <a href=\"\/uk\/authors\/\">Mark Dent<\/a> from official GOV.UK guidance, UK legislation and public reporting. We do not sell, issue or arrange any licence or document, and we are not part of DVLA, DVSA or any government body. See our <a href=\"\/uk\/editorial-policy\/\">editorial policy<\/a> or <a href=\"\/uk\/contact\/\">report a mistake<\/a>.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Home \u203a How employers verify doctors For employers How employers verify a doctor before hiring Short answer: The GMC says employers must hire or contract only with doctors they can identify and who have the right status on the register for the role. The public register shows status, and the GMC&#8217;s Employer Liaison Service helps [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"truthdocuments-guide","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-7320","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_hostinger_reach_plugin_has_subscription_block":false,"_hostinger_reach_plugin_is_elementor":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7320","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7320"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7320\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7958,"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7320\/revisions\/7958"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7320"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}