Results of recent fitness to practise appeals

Between April 2024–March 2025, we appealed 21 cases to Court. These were cases where we were concerned about the decisions reached by panels assessing whether healthcare professionals are fit to continue to provide care to members of the public. 

These ‘fitness to practise’ decisions are made following allegations of misconduct or complaints that a healthcare professional has behaved in a way which is not appropriate for the position they hold or risks patient safety. 

One successful appeal was a case involving a nurse who locked a vulnerable child patient in her room without a clinical reason for doing so. Additionally, the nurse was not open and honest during the investigation into the matter. Our appeal turned the original decision to suspend the nurse for 12 months into a striking off meaning they can no longer work as a registered nurse. 

Another successful appeal was of a case where the tribunal found that a doctor was no longer impaired and was allowed to return to unrestricted practice but who was registered with the police for five years following his conviction for an offence under the Sexual Offences Act 2003. We were concerned that the tribunal did not properly follow the sanctions guidance which states that no doctor registered as a sex offender should have unrestricted registration and failed to give adequate reasons for its departure from the guidance. A consent order was agreed meaning the original panel decision is replaced with a finding that the doctor’s fitness to practise is currently impaired, and the matter sent to a new panel for consideration on sanction. 

Our aim in appealing such cases is to help protect patients and the public in the future.