The Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) has announced its plans to resume face to face fitness to practise hearings. 

During the height of the Covid restrictions, the NMC scaled back its fitness to practise work.  It cancelled fitness to practise hearings and limited tis focus to the most serious cases that it judged to present an immediate risk to the public. 

Now however, as the Covid restrictions are eased, the NMC announced its plans for the resumption of face fitness to practise hearings.  From 14 September 2020, the NMC said it would start a gradual resumption of it fitness to practise work including some physical hearings. 

What are the NMC’s plans?

The NMC said it will consider the complexity of each case taking into account ‘the view of the hearing participants’ when deciding whether to hold a meeting virtually or in person. 

Clearly of critical importance is the need to ensure hearings are conducted in a fair and transparent manner.  To this, the NMC said it will also take into consideration “whether a particular format might prevent a hearing from running smoothly.” 

Fitness to practise hearings held in person will be subject to a number of Covid secure measures including staggered start times for hearings. 

Kings View Chambers

Throughout the Covid restrictions, we continued to support nurses and other heath and care professionals who were subject to fitness to practise investigations and proceedings. 

This included support for nurses and midwives.  We are a progressive healthcare defence chambers and consultants who have been using technology to represents clients remotely. 

It is clear from the NMC’s statement and that of other health and care regulators that the future of fitness to practise hearings will be a mix of physical and virtual.  

We are setup to support and represent healthcare professionals with remote hearings and in person.  

You can contact us today for a free, no obligation case assessment of your fitness to practise investigation or complaint.