Responding to the General Medical Council's new targets to eliminate disproportionate fitness to practice referrals and training inequalities, the chief executive of NHS Providers, Chris Hopson, said:

"We welcome the GMC's focus on addressing inequalities, which is also a key priority for trust leaders.

"Disproportionate fitness to practice referrals and the attainment gap in medical education and training, both in relation to race, urgently need tackling. It is good to see deadlines set against this work, with the aim being elimination rather than reduction.

"We will need to see more detail as to how the GMC plan to undertake this work, which will be a collaborative effort between regulators, trusts, education bodies and doctors. But with everyone pulling in the same direction to eliminate inequality, we hope to see meaningful and lasting change. Trust leaders stand ready to play their part."