Our role

We run hearings, which make independent decisions about whether doctors are fit to practise medicine.

If necessary, our tribunals can restrict or remove a doctor’s right to practise medicine in the UK.

What do we do?

We run medical practitioners tribunal hearings and interim orders tribunal hearings. To do this, we:

• make sure tribunal’s decisions meet our high standards
• appoint, appraise and train:
  1. tribunal members
  2. legally qualified chairs and legal assessors
  3. case managers
• schedule hearings
• facilitate pre-hearing meetings 
• give administrative support to tribunals during hearings
• update the medical register and publish the records of public hearings
• provide information about upcoming hearings
• communicate hearing outcomes to overseas regulators and others 

Our hearings

We usually hold several hearings a day, most of which are open to the public.

We conduct hearings according to the Medical Act 1983 and other statutory rules.

Find out more about our hearings.

Our relationship with the GMC

We are a statutory committee of the GMC and are accountable to the GMC Council and the UK Parliament. We are independent in our decision making, and operate separately from the investigatory role of the GMC.