Letter from the President and Vice-Presidents

Good Surgical Practice sets standards for surgeons and members of the surgical team.

About Good Surgical Practice 2025

It is an immense privilege to be a surgeon. We transform lives, advance medical practice and enjoy careers which are as interesting as they are rewarding. 

Despite huge technological advances, our role as individuals and as teams remains fundamental to the practice of medicine and surgery. This brings enormous responsibilities and with them an unwavering commitment to maintaining the highest standards of care for our patients. 

Good Surgical Practice 2025 sets out the latest principles of the General Medical Council’s Good Medical Practice as they apply to surgery. It captures the developments in surgery over the last ten years, including the rise of robotic surgery, the importance of environmental sustainability and the challenges around training. It is both a good practice guide and a pledge to our patients and colleagues—outlining the core values, skills and behaviours that underpin our professionalism. 

As we all strive for surgical excellence, we continually learn and develop. Whether we’re refining our technical skills, understanding new innovations, training the next generation, or taking time to reflect on our practice, we each play a part in maintaining and growing our expertise. With this approach in mind, Good Surgical Practice serves as a resource and reminder throughout every stage of our career journey.

Our patients and colleagues place immense trust in us. While most of us uphold this responsibility, the recent findings of the Working Party on Sexual Misconduct in Surgery—along with other high-profile examples of poor team behaviours and patient outcomes—are a stark reminder that there is still work to do. There is a shared responsibility between our employers and each of us individually to shape a culture where every member of the team is treated with respect and feels supported to do their best work. Good Surgical Practice reinforces this shared responsibility, reminding us that professionalism is not just about technical execution, but the way we treat one another.

Safety and honesty are also fundamental to supporting a positive surgical culture. When challenges arise—whether resource constraints, ethical dilemmas, or adverse outcomes—the best of us act with integrity, raise concerns where necessary and, above all, work constructively to seek improvements and find solutions that ultimately benefit patients.

We invite you to make Good Surgical Practice part of your everyday work by reflecting on your practice and applying its principles to the specific circumstances of your work.

President Tim Mitchell and Vice-Presidents Vivien Lees, Peter Friend and Frank Smith