The GMC has opened a consultation on updated guidance relating to Personal Beliefs and Medical Practice. This guidance will directly shape how clinicians navigate faith, conscience, and professional conduct. The consultation closes on 11 June 2026. In parallel, the Department of Health and Social Care is also consulting separately on wider GMC regulatory reforms through the draft General Medical Council Order 2026, with responses closing on 23 June 2026; further details on this will follow.

BIMA held a webinar on both consultations and reforms on 3 June 2026.

Watch the webinar recording here:

BIMA has reviewed the draft GMC Personal Beliefs and Medical Practice guidance, and identified several areas of significant concern that risk restricting belief, undermining culturally competent care, and disproportionately impacting Muslim healthcare professionals.

Key areas of concern

1. Ambiguity around “imposing beliefs”

The guidance introduces restrictions on discussing personal beliefs with patients but does not clearly define what constitutes “imposing beliefs”. This creates a high level of subjectivity and risk for clinicians, particularly where patients may signal openness to faith-based discussion in subtle or culturally specific ways. The removal of the previous allowance to respond where a patient “welcomes” such discussion is especially concerning.

2. Conscientious objection in practice

While conscientious objection is retained in principle, the draft guidance significantly weakens its application. Requirements to “prioritise the patient” and ensure seamless access to care risk being interpreted as obligating clinicians to actively facilitate or coordinate procedures they object to. In particular, the clause requiring treatment where “no reasonable alternative” exists effectively removes meaningful protection in practice. This raises serious concerns in light of ongoing legal and political developments around assisted dying.

3. Erosion of faith-informed care

The guidance risks marginalising faith-sensitive approaches to care by restricting when and how beliefs can be discussed. For many patients, including Muslim patients, faith is integral to decision-making, particularly in areas such as mental health, end-of-life care, and crisis situations. The current framing risks enforcing a narrow, secular model of care, rather than recognising faith-informed care as a legitimate component of holistic, patient-centred practice.

4. Cultural and religious practices

The removal of explicit reference to practices such as non-therapeutic male circumcision creates uncertainty and exposes clinicians to inconsistent scrutiny. There is also insufficient protection against rigid application of dress codes (e.g. bare-below-the-elbows policies) that may disproportionately exclude Muslim women.

5. Workplace standards and disproportionate impact

The introduction of subjective expectations such as “kindness” in professional interactions raises concern. This must be viewed in the context of existing evidence that ethnic minority doctors are disproportionately referred for Fitness to Practise processes. Without objective thresholds, there is a real risk that legitimate religious expression, or requests for accommodation, may be mischaracterised and escalate into formal concerns. Ambiguous standards cannot be separated from this broader regulatory context.

6. Expression outside of work

Although the guidance states it does not apply outside the workplace, this is undermined by references to maintaining “public confidence”. The lack of a clear boundary creates a chilling effect, where lawful civic or humanitarian expression may still expose clinicians to regulatory risk. In an era where professional and personal identities are increasingly blurred online, this lack of clarity is particularly concerning for visibly Muslim clinicians.

7. Wider legal and professional context

The guidance must be understood within the framework of freedom of thought, conscience and religion. Any restriction on expression or practice must be necessary, proportionate, and clearly defined. The current draft lacks sufficient precision to meet this threshold.

There is also increasing recognition of the risk of moral injury when clinicians are compelled to act against deeply held ethical or religious convictions. This is not only a matter of individual rights, but of workforce wellbeing, retention, and sustainability across the NHS.

Key questions to focus on

We encourage members to prioritise the following questions in their responses:

• Q6, Q9, Q10, Q11 – Conscientious objection and contractual obligations
• Q8 – Talking to patients about personal beliefs
• Q13 and Q18 – Faith-informed care and patient-centred practice
• Q17 – Cultural and religious practices (including circumcision)
• Q25 and Q26 – Disproportionate impact on protected groups
• Q27 – Overall concerns and recommendations

We are urging the GMC to:

• Provide clear, objective definitions of key terms such as “imposing beliefs”
• Explicitly protect the boundary between conscientious objection and active facilitation
• Support faith-informed, culturally competent care as a legitimate component of practice
• Reinstate clear recognition of lawful religious and cultural practices
• Replace subjective behavioural standards with objective, evidence-based thresholds
• Establish a clear boundary protecting lawful expression outside of work
• Ensure the guidance does not exacerbate existing disparities in regulatory processes

This consultation is a critical opportunity to ensure that future guidance reflects both professional integrity and the diversity of the medical workforce and patient population. BIMA will be drafting a formal response but also encourage all members to respond and share their individual perspectives.

Please make sure to submit your views to both consultations before they close:

* Personal beliefs and medical practice – closes 11 June 2026
https://www.gmc-uk.org/about/get-involved/consultations/personal-beliefs-and-medical-practice

* GMC regulatory reform (draft GMC Order 2026) – closes 23 June 2026
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/reforming-the-general-medical-council-legislative-framework