Not all cases need to progress to a full hearing. There are different ways we can close a case at the end of an investigation with a shorter hearing or without a hearing.

Resolving cases by agreement

When possible, we use consensual panel determination to resolve cases by agreement instead of going to a hearing.

A consensual panel determination is when we agree with the nurse, midwife, or nursing associate that their fitness to practise is impaired and agree the appropriate sanction for their case.

If a nurse, midwife or nursing associate wants to resolve their case by agreement, they must accept the facts outlined in the concern and accept that their fitness to practise is impaired.

This agreement is put into writing which then goes to a panel to decide if the provisional agreement we’ve reached can be approved.

The provisional agreement will usually be considered by a panel at a meeting but could be considered at a hearing if the nurse, midwife or nursing associate asks for one.

We use consensual panel determinations to help resolve cases more quickly and easily.

Find out more about consensual panel determinations

Agreed removal

Nurses, midwives and nursing associates who are being or have been investigated can apply to be removed from the register without the need for a full hearing. This is called agreed removal.

Once they've been removed from the register, they can't practise as a registered professional without applying for readmission.

Agreed removal might apply to someone who doesn't want to continue practising and there’s no public interest in the case being considered by a panel.

Find out more about applying for agreed removal if you're a nurse, midwife or nursing associate going through fitness to practise proceedings

If you're on our register and you’re not going through fitness to practise proceedings but would like to be removed for other reasons, you can apply to lapse your registration.