Matthew Cassells
Matt quailed in as a barrister in 2015 and has worked exclusively as a professional regulatory lawyer since that time.
As an advocate he has conducted hundreds of fitness to practise cases at all levels of complexity, appearing before professional tribunals and courts, particularly the High Court on appeal.
Matt has also acted as legal adviser to regulatory tribunals and been a speaker at ARDL events.
Practice Area
Panel
- Contributing Author
Qualified Year
- 2015
Experience
- Nursing and Midwifery Council (2014 - 2025)
Membership
- Middle Temple
- Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers
Qualifications
- BA Politics with International Relations (2010)
- LLB, Law (2011)
- BPTC (2013)
Education
- University of Warwick (2010)
- BPP Law School (2011)
- BPP Law School (2013)
2 Contributions by Matthew Cassells
PRACTICE NOTES
Criminal law and healthcare fitness to practise: referrals, disclosure, interim orders, evidential use of convictions, sanctions and ROA exceptions (England and Wales)
This Practice Note provides a practical overview of the impact that criminal investigations, prosecutions and convictions may have on healthcare practitioners, and on the integrity of the register that regulators have a statutory duty to maintain. It should be considered alongside the Practice Note: Common principles in fitness to practise proceedings and the relevant Practice Note for each regulator below:
General Dental Council—fitness to practise proceedings
General Medical Council—fitness to practise proceedings
General Optical Council—fitness to practise proceedings
General Pharmaceutical Council—fitness to practise proceedings
Health and Care Professions Council—fitness to practise proceedings
Nursing and Midwifery Council Proceedings—fitness to practise proceedings
Social Work England—fitness to practise proceedings
Function of criminal courts v fitness to practise proceedings
The distinct purposes of the criminal courts and professional regulators, and how they interact, were analysed in Bawa-Garba v GMC. The appeal centred on the correct approach to a conviction for gross negligence manslaughter when applying fitness to practise sanctions, particularly where the registrant is not considered to pose a continuing risk to patients. The case concerned a doctor specialising in paediatrics, who was found...
Local Government
PRACTICE NOTES
Healthcare regulators: common principles, procedure, evidence, interim orders and sanctions in fitness to practise proceedings
This Practice Note seeks to summarise the leading case law and shared principles that arise in fitness to practise (FtP) proceedings before most healthcare regulators’ FtP panels. It sets out the common procedural phases, including investigation and the admissibility of evidence, the scope of case examiners’ powers, interim orders, and recurring themes such as dishonesty and racist language. The term ‘registrant’ refers to the regulated professional who is the subject of FtP proceedings. It should be read alongside Practice Note: Criminal proceedings and convictions in healthcare regulatory proceedings and the separate Practice Note for each regulator listed below:
General Dental Council—fitness to practise proceedings
General Medical Council—fitness to practise proceedings
General Optical Council—fitness to practise proceedings
General Pharmaceutical Council—fitness to practise proceedings
Health and Care Professions Council—fitness to practise proceedings
Nursing and Midwifery Council—fitness to practise proceedings
Social Work England—fitness to practise proceedings
This note applies to the healthcare regulators overseen by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). For additional reading on the PSA, see Practice Note: Professional Standards Authority.
Overview of fitness to practice proceedings
Language and titles may differ between regulators but, broadly, there...
Local Government
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