How a charge becomes final
Once our case examiners have considered an allegation, they decide there whether there is a case to answer, based on the statement of regulatory concern which we prepare during our investigation, drawn from the evidence we’ve gathered.
They will then refer the case to the Fitness to Practise Committee.
Once the case has been referred to the Fitness to Practise Committee, we’ll identify which category of fitness to practise allegation the case falls into:
- misconduct,
- lack of competence
- criminal offences
- health
- not having the necessary knowledge of English
- or decisions by other health or social care organisations
We’ll then draft a charge explaining this, and set out all the relevant facts on which the allegation is based.
When does the charge become the final version?
When we send the nurse, midwife or nursing associate the notice of hearing, it will contain the charge.
We must send this to the nurse, midwife or nursing associate no later than 28 days before the date fixed for the hearing.
If we’ve sent a notice of hearing more than 28 days before the date fixed for the hearing, and we want to change the charge contained within the earlier notice, we’re allowed to do so, as long as we send a further notice of hearing containing the revised charge, no later than 28 days before the date fixed for the hearing.
If we do this, we’ll always make it clear that the second notice is meant to replace the first notice.
Can the charge be changed less than 28 days before the hearing?
If we want to amend the charge contained within the notice of hearing, and the hearing is less than 28 days away, we’ll have to make an application to the panel once the hearing begins. The panel, at any stage before making its findings of fact, may allow an amendment to the charge or the facts set out within the charge.
If we don’t want to proceed with our case on all or part of the charge, we have to offer no evidence.
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- Last Updated: 12/10/2018
The guidance in our library, needs to be read alongside our NMC Guidance during the Covid-19 emergency period. We have new rules that are in force during the period of the coronavirus emergency that are relevant to how it applies.
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FtP library
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Understanding Fitness to Practise
- Aims and principles for fitness to practise
- Allegations we consider
- How we determine seriousness
- Why we screen cases
- When we use interim orders
- Investigations
- Examining cases
- How we manage cases
- Meetings and hearings
- Resolving cases by agreement
- What sanctions are and when we might use them
- Remediation and insight
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Screening
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The four stages of our screening decision
- The four stages of our screening decision - overview
- Stage one: Determine if the concern is serious enough to affect fitness to practise
- Stage two: Check it meets our formal requirements
- Stage three: Check whether we can obtain credible evidence
- Stage four: Check for evidence of remediation
- Cases not referred for further investigation
- Determining the regulatory concern
- Screening incorrect or fraudulent entry cases
-
The four stages of our screening decision
- Interim Orders
- Investigations
- Case Examiners
- Preparing for the FtP Committee
-
Case management
- Hearing fitness to practise allegations together
- Telephone conferences
- Preliminary meetings
- Dealing with cases at hearings or meetings
- Voluntary removal
- Cancelling hearings
- Constitution of panels
- Proceeding with hearings when the nurse, midwife or nursing associate is absent
- Case management during hearings
- Hearings in private and in public
- When we postpone or adjourn hearings
- FtP Committee decision making
- Sanctions
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Reviews
- Reviewing case examiner decisions
- Interim order reviews
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Substantive order reviews
- Substantive order reviews - overview
- Standard reviews before expiry
- Early review
- Exceptional cases: changing orders with immediate effect at a standard review
- Review of striking-off orders
- New allegations
- Reviewing orders when there may have been a breach
- Reviews where an interim order is in place
- Allowing orders to expire when a nurse or midwife’s registration will lapse
- Appeals and restoration