Our role

We run hearings that make independent decisions about whether doctors, physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs) are fit to practise in the UK. 

Our tribunals can restrict a doctor’s, PA's or AA's practice, or stop them from working in the UK.  

What do we do?

We run medical practitioners tribunal hearings and interim orders tribunal hearings for doctors and associate tribunals and interim measures tribunals for PAs and AAs. 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 GMC registers and publish the records of public hearings
• provide information about upcoming hearings. 

Our hearings

We usually hold several hearings a day, most of which are open to the public. These can place either in person or virtually.

We conduct hearings according to the Medical Act 1983, the Anaesthesia Associates and Physician Associates Order 2024 and other statutory rules.

Find out more about how hearings work for doctors and for PAs and AAs.

Our relationship with the GMC

We're accountable to the GMC’s Council and the UK Parliament, and operate separately from the GMC.