Hearings and decisions

In the Hearings and decisions section you can access information on the following.

Adjudication

Adjudication is when a doctor appears before the GMC to answer allegations. Read about our adjudication procedures and how they relate to our investigation procedures in our introduction to adjudication page.

Interim Orders Panel

Our Interim Orders Panel may make an order suspending a doctor's registration or imposing conditions upon a doctor's registration - prior to the doctor appearing to answer the full allegations. Read about the Interim Orders Panel.

Fitness to Practise Panel

Our Fitness to Practise Panels hear the full allegations against doctors, decide whether they are substantiated and if so, what sanctions are appropriate, if any. Read about our Fitness to Practise Panels.

Decisions

You can access the decisions of our Interim Order Panels and Fitness to Practise Panels in our Decisions section.

Sanctions Guidance (information for lawyers and others)

Our sanctions guidance used by Fitness to Practise Panels is available on our Sanctions Guidance page. This information is most likely to be of interest for lawyers.

Case Management Working Group Report

View the Case Management Working Group Report (385kb, pdf)  
GMC Case Management Procedures (196kb, pdf)  
View the Drafting Allegations Working Group Report (53kb, pdf)  
Guidance on charge drafting for notices of hearing (71kb, pdf)    

OHPA and the future of adjudication

From April 2011, responsibility for running Fitness to Practise hearings involving doctors will transfer from the GMC to a new, independent body called the Office of the Health Professions Adjudicator (OHPA). The GMC will continue to regulate doctors and investigate Fitness to Practise issues. More information can be found on our OHPA page.