Giving evidence at a hearing - help for witnesses

  1. Summary
  2. Helping us with an investigation
  3. Giving a statement
  4. Making a decision
  5. Giving evidence at a hearing
  1. Before the hearing
  2. On the day of the hearing
  3. After the hearing
  4. Independent support

If we decide that the case needs to be considered by a tribunal, we’ll be in touch to inform you.

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) runs all medical practitioners tribunal hearings for doctors registered in the UK. Most hearings are held in public. MPTS’ decisions are fully independent of our investigations.

Read more about the types of case we may refer to a tribunal, and the actions they can take.

We’ll ask you to attend a hearing if we need you to give your evidence in person to support our case. We’ll only ask you to do this if it’s absolutely necessary. The doctor also has the right to ask you questions about your statement – an important part of a fair hearing.

Your evidence will help the tribunal reach the right decision, and help us to fulfil our duty to protect the public.

If you are reluctant to attend a hearing, please speak to your point of contact. They will explore your concerns and talk to you about the support available. You can also use our Witness Support Service.


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Related content

Independent support service You can get support from the independent support service at any time during our investigation. This service, run by Victim Support, is free and confidential.