Improving patient, family and colleague witnesses’ experiences of Fitness to Practise proceedings
Introduction
integrity – transparency – respect – fairness – teamwork
To protect the public by delivering highly effective oversight of regulation and registration.
Regulators play a vital role in protecting members of the public and health and social care workers.
The UK has 13 health and social care regulators and 29 registers that require people on the register to meet certain behaviours and skills (in 2024).
These regulators register people with the qualifications and experience to work in their profession. Fitness to Practise is a process where people can refer concerns to regulators about people on their register. Regulators aim to maintain public confidence in the profession and contribute to patient safety by ensuring professional standards are upheld (Professional Standards Authority, 2023).
Most regulators rely on people and organisations to raise concerns about a registered person. Concerns may include misconduct, lack of competence, criminal convictions, illegal activity (e.g., fraud, deception, sexual harassment and abuse) and health conditions.
They will investigate if the regulator finds enough evidence that the concern is serious. An investigation involves members of the public with relevant information about the concern(s) giving a statement. If there is evidence that the concerns are serious enough, they are sent to a Fitness to Practise panel, where the member(s) of the public may have to give evidence in a hearing.