A number of recommendations have already been completed, as well as improvements beyond the scope of the report. As part of our ongoing commitment to keeping doctors and other key stakeholders informed, we will be providing updates on progress to date.
What’s happened so far?
A plan to address the report’s 22 recommendations was put to the Federation Board on 8 December 2025 and approved.
We are committed to reporting back to college councils, boards of trustees, resident doctors’ committees of the colleges, the GMC as regulator, and our candidates and wider stakeholders over the months ahead. This represents the first of our updates on progress to date.
The report sets out recommendations which have been actioned, those in progress with brief descriptors, and those not actioned with reasons. To date, seven of the 22 recommendations have been completed, 13 are in progress and two are pending, for reasons that are explained.
The colour key assigned to each recommendation denotes the action status of the activity:
Green = actioned / completed
Amber = in progress
Grey = not started
As pledged on 6 November 2025, we will share our learning with other assessment and exam bodies within the wider healthcare system via our established networks and communication channels. We will also continue to work closely with the colleges’ resident doctors’ committees, including meeting with them to get their input on specific activities and improvements to our processes.
We hope the actions taken to date demonstrate our commitment to acting promptly on the recommendations from the McLachlan report and serve to highlight progress to date whilst also setting out work underway and to be done. We anticipate providing an updated report in Q2, 2026 and in the meantime welcome feedback from stakeholders on anything relating to this report and our approach which should be sent to: Benjamin.gillon@thefederation.uk.
Read the full update on progress here.
