Hearing resources

Resources for doctors

A range of guides to help doctors understand the hearing process, particularly those who intend to represent themselves. They explain the process for each hearing type step by step and options for support and representation.

Listings, case management and costs  

Our guidance on medical practitioners tribunals case management, costs awards and postponements. 

Case management 

Covid-19 Recovery
Deciding whether a hearing will be held at SJB or as a virtual hearing.  

Case management procedure guidance for parties and representatives
How we prepare for hearings and how listings and case management directions are made. 

Policy on the provision of advance bundles in new medical practitioners tribunal hearings
Our policy on giving hearing bundles to tribunal members in advance of a hearing.

Holding hearings outside Manchester on an exceptional basis
How to make, and how we consider, applications to hold hearings at different venues. 

Medical practitioners tribunal on case management and exercising powers under Rule 16(A)
Guidance considered to exclude evidence, draw and adverse inference or make a costs award.

Listing reconvened hearings
How listings process ensures time allocated to a hearing is sufficient to conclude case. 

Costs

Case manager guidance on the assessment of costs (including annex 1)
What to consider when reaching decision on costs to award.

Schedule of costs
Documents completed by parties and submitted to the case manager for costs assessment.

Costs: ability to pay self-assessment
Document completed by a paying party (where that party is an individual).

Postponements

Interim orders tribunal or medical practitioners tribunal hearing postponements under Rule 29
How to make, and how we consider, applications to postpone a hearings. 

Medical practitioners tribunals 

The following guidance documents relate to medical practitioners tribunal hearings. 

Concerns about a doctor's knowledge of English
Guidance for cases involving concerns about a doctor's knowledge of English. 

Adjourning to direct an assessment or for further information or reports
When to adjourn, what to consider when directing an assessment, and when to reconvene. 

Chair guidance
Tribunal Chair guidance on their role.   

Substitution of tribunal members
How to continue with a hearing where a tribunal member substitution is necessary.

Use of video, telephone evidence and special measures at hearings
When to permit a witness to give evidence via telephone or video link.

Undertakings
When to accept undertakings as an alternative to imposing a sanction.

Taking interim orders into account
When to consider the time spent by a doctor under an interim order of suspension.

Hearing bundles
Requirements for hearing bundles used in medical practitioners tribunal hearings.

Guidance on redacting Records of determinations (RoDs)
Guidance to assist decision makers interpret the policy around redacting RoDs for publication.

Guidance on drawing adverse inferences
Refer to this guidance when deciding whether it is appropriate to draw an adverse inference during a Medical Practitioners Tribunal.

Non-compliance

Non-compliance guidance for tribunals
When to consider a non-compliance hearing in accordance with Rules 17ZA and 22A.

Postponements

Interim orders tribunal or medical practitioners tribunal hearing postponements under Rule 29
How to make, and how we consider, applications to postpone a hearing. 

Restoration

Guidance for medical practitioners tribunals on restoration following disciplinary erasure


Guidance for medical practitioners tribunals on restoration following voluntary or administrative erasure

Interim orders tribunals

The following documents cover interim orders tribunal hearings only. 

Imposing interim orders: interim orders tribunal and medical practitioners tribunal guidance
When to impose an interim order.  

Imposing interim orders: supplementary guidance on the licence to practise
Guidance on the licence to practise when considering to impose an interim order. 

Postponements

Interim orders tribunal or medical practitioners tribunal hearing postponements under Rule 29
How to make, and how we consider, applications to postpone hearings.

Conditions and undertakings

These documents cover the wording that GMC decision makers and tribunals use when restricting a doctor's registration. 

Imposing conditions on a doctor's registration (Conditions bank)
The wording tribunals use when imposing conditions.

Imposing interim conditions on a doctor's registration (Interim conditions bank)
The wording tribunals use when imposing interim conditions.

Agreeing a doctor's undertakings (Undertakings bank)
The wording GMC decision makers use when offering to agree voluntary restrictions.

Non-compliance conditions (Non-compliance conditions bank)
The wording tribunals use when imposing conditions during a non-compliance hearing. 

Glossary of terms
Explains the wording used in the documents above. 

The below documents will be used for all hearings which started before 1 February 2022. 

Imposing conditions on a doctor's registration (Conditions bank)
The wording tribunals use when imposing conditions.

Imposing interim conditions on a doctor's registration (Interim conditions bank)
The wording tribunals use when imposing interim conditions.

Agreeing a doctor's undertakings (Undertakings bank)
The wording GMC decision makers use when offering to agree voluntary restrictions.

Non-compliance conditions (Non-compliance conditions bank)
The wording tribunals use when imposing conditions during a non-compliance hearing. 

Glossary of terms
Explains the wording used in the documents above. 

Sanctions guidance

What should be considered when considering sanctions in medical practitioners tribunals. 

Nov 2020 Sanctions guidance for medical practitioners tribunal members and the GMC decision makers
Guidance for new hearings starting on or after 16 November 2020.

Nov 2019 Sanctions guidance for medical practitioners tribunal members and the GMC decision makers
What you should consider when giving sanctions to a doctor without a licence. 

Archive sanctions guidance for hearings:

Starting on 18 November 2019 and before 16 November 2020

Starting on 6 February 2018 and before 18 November 2019

Starting on 30 May 2017 and before 6 February 2018

Starting on 29 July 2016 and before 30 May 2017

Starting 1 March 2016 and before 29 July 2016

Starting 31 December 2015 and before 1 March 2016

Additional MPTS guidance  

Guidance on representation at hearings
Guidance on matters relevant to representation at hearings and on how to assess the suitability of a person seeking to provide representation for a doctor. 

Guidance for interpreters attending a hearing
The role of interpreters when attending a hearing.

Recording of hearings
The use of audio recording equipment in hearings and the production of transcripts.      

Expert witness protocol
What is expected of expert witnesses, reports and giving oral evidence. 

Witness statement guidance and template
Guidance for parties on the form and content of witness statements for use in hearings.   

Reviews on the papers - tribunal guidance
Tribunal guidance when conducting a review of impaired fitness to practise on the papers. 

Procedure for dealing with medical practitioners tribunal empanelment issues
The procedure when issues arise on the first day of a new medical practitioners tribunal.

Guidance for parties and witnesses in a virtual hearing
This technical guide is for parties and witnesses taking part in a virtual hearing. 

Efficiency objective
Guidance for parties on how MPTS hearings are listed.

Guidance on using the slip rule in determinations from MPTS hearings
Procedure document to assist MPTS staff, tribunal members and parties when correcting determinations.

MPTS Publication and Disclosure: Information Sheet
This document sets out what information we publish and/or make available about a hearing once a case has been referred to us.

Additional GMC guidance

The following additional GMC guidance is also available to tribunals at hearings.

Appeals by the GMC pursuant to S40A of the Medical Act
When to appeal a medical practitioners tribunal decision.

Allegations about a doctor's involvement in encouraging or assisting suicide
GMC guidance on allegations concerning encouraging or assisting suicide. 

Referring a case for a non-compliance hearing
When to refer a case for a non-compliance hearing. 

Use of clinical attachments
Guidance for doctors on participating in a clinical attachment and clinical supervisors.   

Voluntary erasure
GMC and tribunal guidance on applications for voluntary erasure from the medical register.

Warnings
GMC and tribunal guidance and template on issuing a warning to a doctor.

Guidance for doctors on restoration following disciplinary erasure
Restoration following disciplinary erasure.