GOC Fitness to Practise (FtP) Panels: Hearings
If the Council’s Fitness to Practice Committee considers an allegation against a registrant to be serious, a full hearing takes place to judge whether the registrant’s fitness to practice is impaired. Both lay and professional members of the hearing panel are impartial and independent of the GOC.
Procedural Hearing
At the procedural hearing both parties agree dates for exchanging witness and expert evidence. A date is set for the substantive hearing.
Substantive Hearing
A substantive hearing takes place at least 28 days after the procedural hearing. Provided both parties agree to it, a substantive hearing may occasionally follow on directly from a procedural hearing.
Interim Order
This type of hearing takes place if the Investigation Committee feels that a registrant poses an immediate risk to the public and/or him/herself. An interim order hearing usually takes place within 2-3 weeks of the Committee’s request. The panel decides whether an immediate suspension order or conditions placed on the registrant’s registration should be imposed while the Council’s solicitors obtain evidence for the matter to be heard at a substantive hearing.
Review Hearing
The Review hearing takes place:
- within the first six months of an interim suspension order, and every six months thereafter for as long as the registrant is suspended from the register; or
- at the end of a registrant’s suspension period, if a substantive hearing has not yet taken place. The panel will decide if new sanctions should be imposed on the registrant, if the current sanction is adequate, or if all sanctions should be lifted; or
- at the end of a conditional registration period. The panel will decide if new sanctions should be imposed on the registrant, if the current sanction is adequate, or if all sanctions should be lifted.
Registration Appeal / Application for Restoration Hearing
A registration appeal hearing is held if an individual is refused entry to the register and they wish to appeal against the Registrar’s decision.
A restoration application hearing is held when a practitioner has been erased from the register for disciplinary reasons and they want to apply to rejoin the register.
Appeals to the High Court
In addition a registrant or business has the right to appeal against sanctions imposed upon them by the hearings committee. They must appeal to the High Court within 28 days of the hearing. If an appeal is dismissed by the court, any sanctions imposed take effect on the day of dismissal.
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