Fitness to practise fact sheets

A health and character declaration is the term we use to describe the process of the HCPC being informed about matters relating to health or character. A health and character declaration could be made as an applicant or a registrant.

The first stage of our fitness to practise process. During triage we consider whether the concern we have been told about is something we can deal with.

When concerns are raised about a registrant which are in the remit of the Health and Care Professions Council, we open an investigation into the concerns.

We have finished our investigation into the concerns identified as meeting our threshold and we have drafted allegations which we will invite you to respond to.

Your case has been transferred to our Case Preparation and Conclusion team. We will instruct our external legal firm to carry out further investigation and prepare the case for a final hearing.

In some cases, we use an interim order to protect the public by preventing a registrant from practising, or restricting their practice, whilst an investigation takes place.

All interim orders are regularly reviewed by a panel at an Interim Order Review hearing.

If the panel decides to discontinue the matter in full, we will close our case and take no further action. If the panel decides to discontinue some but not all of the allegations, a fresh panel will be asked to consider the remaining allegations at the final hearing.

As part of its active case management procedures, the Conduct and Competence/Health Committee has issued standard directions for the conduct of all hearings in order to ensure that cases are dealt with quickly, fairly and effectively. 

Disposal by consent is a process by which the registrant and the HCPC can seek to conclude a case without the need for a contested hearing.

Preliminary hearings deal with procedural, evidential, timetabling, or other case management issues that need to be resolved before a substantive hearing can take place.

Once the HCPC has informed HCPTS that the case is ready to be listed for a hearing, the case will be allocated a scheduling officer in the HCPTS team, who will be responsible for planning the hearing.

A hearing which is held by meeting online. A few days before the hearing is due to happen, a hearings officer in our Tribunal Service will send you an invitation to join the hearing via Microsoft Teams.

We have finished preparing the case and it has been listed for a final hearing, otherwise referred to as a substantive hearing.

If the panel decide to a conditions of practice or suspension order, this will be reviewed at a substantive review hearing to decide if the order should be changed or removed.

Deciding whether or not to give evidence is an important decision. Key factors to take into account are explained in this fact sheet.

Making an admission means that you accept or admit to some or all of the facts alleged against you. It does not mean that you admit your fitness to practise is impaired. You should only admit to a fact alleged against you if you fully understand and accept what is being alleged.