Hearing resources for doctors

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.

Case management and costs 

Our guidance on pre-hearing case management of medical practitioners tribunals, assessment of costs and pre-hearing applications.

Pre-hearing case management

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

• Form R1: Pre-listing information new MPT hearings (Form R1 English) (Form R1 Welsh)
• Form R2: Pre-listing information conviction hearings (Form R2 English) (Form R2 Welsh)
• Form R3: Pre-listing information restoration hearings (Form R3 English) (Form R3 Welsh) 
Form R4: Pre-listing information review or non-compliance hearings (Form R4 English) (Form R4 Welsh) 
• Form C1: Pre-hearing certificate for new MPT hearings (Form C1 English) (Form C1 Welsh)
• Form C2: Pre-hearing certificate for all other MPT hearings (Form C2 English) (Form C2 Welsh)

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

Joinder guidance
Guidance for parties and decision makers on applications for joinder of allegations to be heard at a single hearing. 

• Form J1: Joinder (single practitioner) application (Form J1 English) (Form J1 Welsh)
• Form J2: Joinder (multi-practitioner) application (Form J2 English) (Form J2 Welsh)

Witnesses

Receiving witness evidence at MPT hearings
Guidance for parties and decision makers on applications for remote evidence, special measures and oral evidence in chief. 

• Form W1: Remote evidence application (Form W1 English) (Form W1 Welsh)
• Form W2: Vulnerable witness application (Form W2 English) (Form W2 Welsh)
• Form W3: Oral evidence in chief application (Form W3 English) (Form W3 Welsh)

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.

Assessment of Costs 

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

• Form S1: Schedule of costs (Form S1 English) (Form S1 Welsh)
• Form S2: Costs: ability to pay self-assessment (Form S2 English) (Form S2 Welsh)

Postponements

Postponement and further adjournments guidance
How to make, and how we consider, applications to postpone a hearings. 

• Form P1: MPT postponement or further adjournment application (Form P1 English) (Form P1 Welsh)

Venues

Deciding how to hold hearings
Guidance on how we decide to hold a hearing virtually or at the MPTS hearing centre.

Holding Medical Practitioners Tribunal hearings at an alternative venue on an exceptional basis
How to make, and how we consider, applications to hold hearings at different venues.

Medical practitioners tribunals

The following guidance documents relate to medical practitioners tribunal hearings.

Hearing management

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

Listing reconvening hearings: Guidance for decision makers, parties and representatives
Guidance for tribunals on arranging dates for part-heard hearings to reconvene.

Form PH5: Party availability (Form PH5 English) (Form PH5 Welsh)
Form for parties to complete if there is no availability to reconvene within 4 weeks’.

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. 

Form M1: Bringing a McKenzie Friend (Form M1 English) (Form M1 Welsh)
Form to complete when bringing a McKenzie Friend to a hearing.

General guidance

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

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. 

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.

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
Guidance for tribunals on drawing an adverse inference where a practitioner does not give evidence during a medical practitioners tribunal.

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

The stage at which a tribunal may consider an application for voluntary erasure
Guidance for tribunals on making decisions about the stage of proceedings that should be reached prior to them considering an application for voluntary erasure.

Non-compliance

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

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.

Imposing interim orders - Guidance for the interim orders tribunal, tribunal chair and medical practitioners tribunal
When to impose an interim order.

Postponements

Postponement and further adjournments guidance
How to make, and how we consider, applications to postpone hearings. 

• Form P2: IOT postponement or further adjournment application (Form P2 English) (Form P2 Welsh)

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. 

Sanctions guidance

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

Sanctions guidance for medical practitioners tribunal members and the GMC decision makers
Guidance for new hearings starting on or after 5 February 2024.

Archived sanctions guidance for hearings:

Starting on 16 November 2020 and before 5 February 2024

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 who may act as a representative at hearings.

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.   

Reviews on the papers - tribunal guidance
Tribunal guidance when conducting a review on the papers. 

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.