Healthcare regulators: common principles, procedure, evidence, interim orders and sanctions in fitness to practise proceedings

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Practice notes

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...

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Victoria Shehadeh

2BR

Victoria’s experience spans regulatory work, criminal work and statutory inquiries. Victoria has a keen interest in regulatory work, with a particular focus on professional discipline of healthcare professionals. She enjoys a busy case load which includes acting for both healthcare regulators and for professionals who face the daunting prospect of appearing before their regulator. When defending healthcare professionals, Victoria provides advice at the early stages of proceedings in order to secure the best results for clients in what can be a lengthy and difficult process. Victoria is also regularly requested to act as a case presenter. Victoria is experienced in handling sensitive cases, multi-registrant cases, cases involving sexually inappropriate behaviour, dishonesty and mismanagement of care homes.Victoria has served on the counsel team to the Undercover Policing Inquiry since 2018. Victoria defends and prosecutes both in the Crown Courts and...

Matthew Cassells

Blake Morgan LLP

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....

Grace Khaile

Blake Morgan LLP

Grace has a degree in history and international relations from Royal Holloway University and a Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) from The University of Law. She received the Lord Diplock from the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple which facilitated her Bar Professional Training Course which she undertook in London. Grace was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2020 and completed pupillage in July 2022.Prior to joining Blake Morgan, Grace practised at the independent Bar of England and Wales with a focus in domestic and international criminal law. Grace has extensive experience undertaking criminal advocacy in the Crown Court and Magistrates Court, with experience prosecuting and defending a range of matters. She also has experience in regulatory advocacy having represented the Nursing and Midwifery Council as external counsel before a period secondment at the Nursing and Midwifery...

Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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