CS: Just to confirm what homunculus said; the GMC is no longer the doctors old boy network.
To be fair, it never really was. It was tough if you really stepped out of line, but fair in that it generally declined to investigate clearly frivolous or insane allegations. When it did investigate it generally accepted a clear explanation so long as the practitioner involved was within the ethical limits of standard practice. The Council were all experienced and qualified so they had a pretty good idea of practicalities.
As I said, the the GMC of today mostly consists of non-medical bureaucrat jobsworths, whose principal aim is to neuter medical practitioners and "prevent another Shipman" (they won't).
This is purely a government exercise to remove the last elements of independence from the profession.
Very sad.
