How we support doctors in the fitness to practise processes

  1. Summary
  2. Our role in protecting the public
  3. Our approach to public confidence concerns
  1. How we make sure concerns raised with us are appropriate and fair
  2. How we assess and respond to fitness to practise concerns
  3. How we support doctors in the fitness to practise processes

We understand the impact that having a concern raised about them can have on a doctor. It’s likely they’ll be worried, and they may be unsure of what to do, or where to go for advice.

We have a range of support that we offer to all doctors who are in the fitness to practise processes, including:

  • asking doctors at the start of an investigation if we can call them rather than just writing them a letter. We let them know we are investigating a concern that has been raised and outline what will happen next
  • giving every doctor a single point of contact so they can speak to the same person about their case throughout the process
  • making sure specially trained colleagues are available to talk to any doctor we know to be vulnerable
  • funding an independent confidential support service run by the British Medical Association (BMA). This includes out of hours access to a 24 hour helpline. The service is for all doctors in our fitness to practise processes, whether they’re BMA members or not.

Find more information on the support that’s available for doctors.

Previous How we assess and respond to fitness to practise concerns

Related content

Supporting you with your concern Find information on how to take your concern forward and the support available to you.
Support for doctors If you do find you need support during an investigation, we're here to help. From managing your health to emotional support, we have resources for you. 
How we investigate concerns Often, investigations end with no need to take any action. Find out how our investigation process works. 
How we make decisions Our decision makers use a range of guidance to help them reach decisions in cases where concerns have been raised about a doctor’s fitness to practise.
Our sanctions We can take action to make sure we protect patients, maintain confidence in the medical profession and uphold the standards we expect of doctors.