Chair sought for new tribunal service for doctors

The GMC has launched a major recruitment campaign to find the Chair for a new tribunal service that will manage all fitness to practise hearings for doctors.

The establishment of the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) is a key part of the GMC’s plans to develop a modern and efficient adjudication service that has the confidence of both doctors and patients.

The tribunal service will be operationally separate from the rest of the GMC in order to create a clear distinction between the GMC’s roles in bringing proceedings against doctors and in running hearings.

The Chair will play a crucial role in establishing the new body, building on the strengths of the current arrangements and introducing improvements to the way hearings are managed. The Chair will also be responsible for appointing and performance managing panel members.

Candidates for the role will be required to have extensive judicial experience, strong leadership and management skills and proven experience of running an effective hearing operation.

The new Chair will be appointed through an independent process managed by Odgers Berndston, the executive search agency.

The appointment panel will be: 

• Professor Sir Kenneth Calman, former Chief Medical Officer for Scotland and then England (Chair)
• Professor Sir Peter Rubin, Chair of the GMC 
• Jeremy Taylor, Chief Executive of National Voices
• His Honour Judge Phillip Sycamore, a Tribunal Chamber President from the Tribunals Service
• Dr Chitra Bharucha, a GMC fitness to practise panellist.

The appointment of the new Chair is expected to be announced before the end of the year. The new service will begin the management of fitness to practise hearings in 2012.