GMC Chair Dame Carrie MacEwan

Dame Carrie MacEwen has been appointed by the Privy Council as the new Chair of the General Medical Council (GMC).

A consultant ophthalmologist for NHS Tayside and Honorary Professor at the University of Dundee, Dame Carrie becomes only the second woman to hold the Chair since the GMC was established 164 years ago. She served as Chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, until 2020 and is Past-President of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists.

Dame Carrie was initially appointed Acting Chair of the GMC in August 2021 after previous Chair, Dame Clare Marx stepped down following a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

As Chair, Dame Carrie will be expected to provide leadership to the GMC’s Council working closely with the Chief Executive and the senior management team, as well as engage with leaders of the medical profession, patient groups and governments in all four UK countries, acting as an ambassador for the GMC.

In a statement, Dame Carrie MacEwen said “I am delighted and feel very privileged to have been appointed the next Chair of the GMC. This is a particularly challenging time for healthcare and I look forward to working collaboratively with partners across all four countries of the United Kingdom to support doctors to provide the best possible care for patients.

“I would like to pay tribute to my predecessor, Dame Clare Marx, whose legacy of compassionate support for doctors will endure; fair, open and respectful working environments are essential for clinicians to be able to perform at their best and, therefore, provide the safest patient care.”

Responding to the announcement Charlie Massey, Chief Executive of the GMC, said “I am delighted that Dame Carrie has been appointed as the next Chair. She takes up the role at a critical time for the GMC, where an ambitious programme of work is underway.

“I am confident that the wealth of experience she brings will be invaluable to seeing this work through successfully as we continue our work to protect patients by maintaining and improving standards in medical practice.

“In particular Carrie will play a vital role in driving forward our new strategy, which shifts the emphasis of our work from acting when things have gone wrong to continued support for all doctors in the delivery of the highest standards of care.”