Introduction to Good Surgical Practice

Good Surgical Practice sets standards for surgeons and is relevant to the wider surgical team. This edition follows the revision of Good Medical Practice that came into effect in 2024.

The standards set are intended to be reasonable, assessable and achievable by all competent surgeons. They complement those standards required of all doctors by the General Medical Council (GMC) as set out in Good Medical Practice. Good Surgical Practice uses the same headings that appear in Good Medical Practice and is the surgical companion to the GMC document.

Good Surgical Practice is written for surgeons of any grade working in and/or outside NHS practice. It is not a statutory code or a regulatory document, but rather seeks to exemplify the standards required of all doctors by the GMC in the context of surgery. It represents the profession’s core values, the skills and attitudes that underpin surgical professionalism to which all surgeons should aspire in order to deliver high-quality care.

The standards set out in this document may be used both by surgeons to confirm their good practice and by those who may have to make judgements about surgeons’ performance. Good Surgical Practice is also intended for the use and benefit of patients, to give them an informed understanding of the standards they can reasonably expect from a competent surgeon.

We recognise that good surgical practice depends not only on the personal attributes of the surgeon, but also on effective teamworking and adequate resources and time. Employers also have a role in building a working environment that enables surgeons to achieve these standards, and we aim to develop advice for employers to support implementation. All surgeons are responsible for the standards of clinical care that they offer to patients and should bring to the attention of their employing authority any deficiencies in resources that impact on the quality of clinical care and patient safety.

Although it is acknowledged that a document of this kind may be seen as being either too prescriptive or ambiguous, it is for individuals to reflect on their practice and use their professional judgement to apply these principles in practice.

We are committed to promoting equality and addressing health inequalities. Throughout the development of these standards we have given due regard to the need to create fair, civil and compassionate working cultures that eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation; advance equality of opportunity; and foster good relations between people who share a relevant protected characteristic (as cited under the Equality Act 2010) and those who do not share it.

The emphasis of this document is on collaborative working, not only with patients, but also with colleagues and healthcare professionals of all specialties who contribute to the care of the surgical patient.