• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Fitness To Practise Guide

  • GMC Fitness To Practise
  • Covid-19 & Fitness to Practise
  • Contact

Fitness to practise during Covid-19

During this extraordinary time, fitness to practise panels and tribunals have been cancelled or postponed. What does this mean for healthcare professionals?

You are here: Home / General / Fitness to practise during Covid-19

22nd March 2020 by fitness2padmin 1 Comment

During this extraordinary time, fitness to practise panels and tribunals have been cancelled or postponed.  What does this mean for healthcare professionals?

Healthcare regulators

As the country responds to the Covid-19 outbreak, there is recognition that healthcare workers and professionals will be faced with situations that will require decisions that will go against established principles and guidance.

Healthcare regulators have issued a joint statement saying:

“We recognise that the individuals on our registers may feel anxious about how context is taken into account when concerns are raised about their decisions and actions in very challenging circumstances. Where a concern is raised about a registered professional, it will always be considered on the specific facts of the case, taking into account the factors relevant to the environment in which the professional is working. We would also take account of any relevant information about resource, guidelines or protocols in place at the time.”  

Fitness to practise during Covid-19

A very important note of caution here. Although fitness to practise hearings have been cancelled or postponed and regulators recognising the unique circumstances, healthcare regulators will continue to investigate and act on concerns raised.

In the NMC’s statement on how it will continue to regulate during Covid-19, it said:

We have identified four essential fitness to practise services that we must continue to deliver:

  1. Logging and risk assessing any new referrals, and any new information on existing referrals
  2. Interim order applications and review hearings
  3. Substantive order review hearings
  4. High Court or Court of Sessions interim order extension applications.

The GMC’s guidance for doctors says:

“We expect doctors will behave responsibly, reasonably and will be able to explain their decisions and actions if they’re called on to do so… Patients must not be exposed to unnecessary risk. Difficult decisions may need to be made quickly about what is the safest and best course of action at any given time.”

The HCPC confirmed that, whilst it had postponed hearings, it will:

  1. It will continue to receive and triage new concerns
  2. Undertake casework as normal
  3. It will raise new interim orders and continue to review existing ones
  4. It will continue with its investigation committee panels as normal

Other healthcare regulators have similarly confirmed that fitness to practise for their registrants will continue.

Hearings & decision making

Hearings from all the UK’s healthcare regulators have been postponed and is some cases cancelled.  As things improve in the months to come, hearings may initially be done remotely and Kings View Chambers is already setup to respond to this.

Not all decisions made by healthcare regulators however require panel hearings.  In the main, healthcare regulators will continue with Interim Order decisions but without a public meeting.  Please contact us for advice if you are facing a fitness to practise investigation or subject to an Interim Order.

GDC,  General,  GMC,  GPhC,  HCPC,  NMC

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

Latest Tweets

#Covid19F2P

KVChambersLtdKings View Chambers@KVChambersLtd·
25 Nov

Contextual factors in fitness to practise during Covid19 - Fitness To Practise Guide

Contextual factors in fitness to practise is not new but Covid has laid bare the reality of medical practice, difficult decisions & stressful workplaces.

https://buff.ly/3mafIaH #Covid19F2P

Reply on Twitter 1331685630087204864Retweet on Twitter 1331685630087204864Like on Twitter 1331685630087204864Twitter 1331685630087204864
KVChambersLtdKings View Chambers@KVChambersLtd·
25 Nov

The future looks bright – Fitness to Practise beyond Covid - Fitness To Practise Guide

Whilst there are many things about Covid that is devastating, a positive is that it forced healthcare regulators to reform, adapt and do so quickly.

https://buff.ly/39d1GBy #Covid19F2P

Reply on Twitter 1331685300620447744Retweet on Twitter 1331685300620447744Like on Twitter 1331685300620447744Twitter 1331685300620447744
KVChambersLtdKings View Chambers@KVChambersLtd·
23 Sep

New GMC Fitness to Practise in Covid Guidance

New #GMC advice for “decision makers” in determining how to assess public protection risk in allegations of impaired #fitnesstopractise in a clinical setting during the Covid-19 pandemic. #Covid19F2P

https://buff.ly/32MxhGv

Reply on Twitter 1308695359796006915Retweet on Twitter 1308695359796006915Like on Twitter 1308695359796006915Twitter 1308695359796006915
KVChambersLtdKings View Chambers@KVChambersLtd·
11 May

Kings View Chambers setup to support healthcare professions

@KVChambersLtd are setup to support & represent healthcare professionals with remote hearings whilst #fitnesstopractise hearings are postponed due to the #coronavirus pandemic.

More: https://buff.ly/2xD9E6l #Covid19F2P

Reply on Twitter 1259773002851352578Retweet on Twitter 1259773002851352578Like on Twitter 1259773002851352578Twitter 1259773002851352578
KVChambersLtdKings View Chambers@KVChambersLtd·
15 Apr

Kings View Chambers setup to support healthcare professions

@KVChambersLtd are setup to support & represent healthcare professionals with remote hearings whilst #fitnesstopractise hearings are postponed due to the #coronavirus pandemic.

More: https://buff.ly/2xD9E6l #Covid19F2P

Reply on Twitter 1250355743967956992Retweet on Twitter 1250355743967956992Like on Twitter 1250355743967956992Twitter 1250355743967956992
KVChambersLtdKings View Chambers@KVChambersLtd·
10 Apr 2020

#GMC to ‘limit impact’ of FTP during Covid-19 pandemic

The GMC will only make fitness to practise information requests to doctors during the Covid-19 pandemic if there is 'an immediate patient safety concern'.

More here: https://buff.ly/2ypZqX9 #Covid19F2P

Reply on Twitter 1248553576630272000Retweet on Twitter 1248553576630272000Like on Twitter 1248553576630272000Twitter 1248553576630272000
KVChambersLtdKings View Chambers@KVChambersLtd·
8 Apr 2020

NHS England ‘pauses’ complaints during Covid-19

NHS will supporting a 'system-wide pause' on the NHS complaints, including the suspension of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman complaints.

More here: https://buff.ly/347yoj4 #Covid19F2P

Reply on Twitter 1247873598225817601Retweet on Twitter 1247873598225817601Like on Twitter 1247873598225817601Twitter 1247873598225817601
KVChambersLtdKings View Chambers@KVChambersLtd·
1 Apr 2020

Kings View Chambers setup to support healthcare professions

@KVChambersLtd are setup to support & represent healthcare professionals with remote hearings whilst #fitnesstopractise hearings are postponed due to the #coronavirus pandemic.

More: https://buff.ly/2xD9E6l #Covid19F2P

Reply on Twitter 1245283528637644800Retweet on Twitter 1245283528637644800Like on Twitter 1245283528637644800Twitter 1245283528637644800
KVChambersLtdKings View Chambers@KVChambersLtd·
1 Apr 2020

Coronavirus: NHS doctors ‘gagged’ over protective equipment shortages | The Independent

#Covid19F2P https://buff.ly/39sx8Z7

Reply on Twitter 1245251583274876929Retweet on Twitter 1245251583274876929Like on Twitter 1245251583274876929Twitter 1245251583274876929
KVChambersLtdKings View Chambers@KVChambersLtd·
26 Mar 2020

Fitness to practise during Covid-19 - #FitnessToPractise Guide

During this extraordinary time, fitness to practise panels and tribunals have been cancelled or postponed. What does this mean for healthcare professionals?

More: https://buff.ly/2vFyEck #Covid19F2P

Reply on Twitter 1243120526698205192Retweet on Twitter 1243120526698205192Like on Twitter 1243120526698205192Twitter 1243120526698205192
Load More...

Recent Comments

  • Call for legislation to protect doctors from legal challenge - Fitness To Practise Guide on Fitness to practise during Covid-19
  • Fitness to practise during Covid-19 - Fitness To Practise Guide on How the NMC will continue to regulate during Covid-19
  • Fitness to practise during Covid-19 - Fitness To Practise Guide on Joint statement on fitness to practise and coronavirus

Get in touch

Get in touch with us for more information - start defending your licence and registration today.

Contact Us Now

Footer

Copyright FitnessToPractise.uk. All Rights Reserved.
48 West George St, Glasgow, G2 1BP
02070601983

Website by GlasgowWebDesign.co.uk