MPTS statement on coronavirus (COVID-19)
We have postponed most hearings from Wednesday 18 March to allow our medical tribunal members to help respond to the coronavirus pandemic.
Patient safety is our top priority, so we will continue to review existing sanctions and consider new interim restrictions where necessary. These hearings will be heard using Skype for Business or be considered by a Legally Qualified Chair on the papers.
We have taken this decision following the latest government advice in order to protect the health of doctors, witnesses and parties who were scheduled to attend our hearing centre. We also have around 100 members of staff, so we hope that limiting all unnecessary travel will help control the spread of the virus.
By law every tribunal must include at least one medical member. We are allowing our 145 medical members to concentrate on responding to the pandemic if they wish. To protect patient safety, a small number of medical members will continue to work with us to make decisions.
This means that all medical practitioners tribunal hearings that were scheduled to run from Wednesday 18 March until Monday 6 July have been postponed until a later date. Parties involved in all hearings have been contacted.
We will keep this fast-moving situation under review and will continue to follow the advice of the UK government and Public Health England.