The vast majority of doctors have lost confidence in the GMC - quite simply that is the truth

Dr Peter Terry, BMA delegate

The debate came a week after the High Court ordered the GMC to re-examine the case of five-year-old Wilfred Toth who died after treatment by GP Dr David Jarman.

The council has been under the spotlight over a number of scandals, including serial killer Harold Shipman and disgraced gynaecologist Rodney Ledward.

Wilfred Toth suffered from glycogen storage disease and went into hypoglaemic seizure at the family home in October 1993.

Dr Jarman came to the house but his father Arpad claims he refused to treat the boy with glucose. Wilfred died in hospital several days later.

He complained to the GMC, but five years later was told the council would not hear the case because his and Dr Jarman's evidence were contradictory.

Mr Toth told the BBC: "In its present form, I don't think the GMC should exist.

"Any regulatory body must be truly independent. It must have a preponderance of lay members with perhaps a medical adviser to advise on the fine medical points."

Lay members

Three-quarters of the GMC's members are doctors, voted for by the profession, the rest are lay members appointed by the health secretary.

The GMC has separate procedures for dealing with doctors' performance and for allegations of misconduct.

A spokeswoman for the Consumer's Association said: "If a body is a regulatory body then that is its role. It cannot also be there to either promote or protect the interests of doctors."

Medical majority

Dr Simon Fradd, deputy chairman of the association's GPs committee and a member of the GMC, said before the vote: "I believe in self-regulation, which means you should have a medical majority, but I personally believe that the disciplinary committees should have a lay majority.

"The public should be there with doctors to advise them on the medical aspects.

"That way there can be no accusations of us getting together to protect ourselves."

Dr John Chisholm, chairman of the BMA's GPs committee, told the BBC: "The criticisms of the GMC are around the way it has been communicating but particularly from the long delay of handling some of the complaints and cases that come before it."

Sir Donald Irvine, president of the GMC, said self-regulation was vital to sustain the motivation of doctors, which ultimately was in patients' best interests.

A spokesman for the GMC said before the debate: "Obviously we are not in favour of this motion.

"It is commenting on issues that are already being addressed by the GMC and on which we are taking action.

"We accept there needs to be reform and that processes need to be speeded up and we are addressing these problems."