What happens next?

After the Panel has heard all the evidence and closing submissions from the HCPC and registrant it may hear advice from the legal assessor before it retires to make its decision.

Panels have a legal duty to provide reasons for their decisions. This is an important part of the open and transparent processes which the HCPTS seeks to operate.

In practical terms this usually means that the Panel retires to a private room to make and write its decisions. It may also seek assistance from the legal assessor to ensure that its decision is adequately reasoned.

Once the Panel has made and written its decision, it will return to the hearing room to announce the decision it has made and the reasons for that decision. Any legal advice which the Panel received from the legal assessor when making its decision will also be disclosed at that point.

If any matters were heard in private, the Panel will consider the extent to which the evidence it has heard, its decision and the reasons for that decision can and should be made public. In these circumstances the Panel will usually prepare a limited public version of its decision.

When the Panel decides that case is not well founded, the outcome will not be published on the Tribunal website unless the registrant concerned requests that the information is published.  In the absence of such a request, any information about the hearing on the Tribunal website will be removed once the proceedings have concluded.

All other decisions are published on the HPCTS website in accordance with the Publications Policy.

After the hearing concludes the HCPTS will send a copy of the Panel's decision to the HCPC, the registrant and their representative, any witnesses and the Professional Standards Authority.