Fitness to practice changes are in force

Fitness to practise changes designed to speed up the handling process of complaints came into force this week.

A team of 15 case examiners, 10 registrants and five lay people, has been appointed and was said to be one of the key changes under the new rules. Pairs of case examiners (one registrant and one lay) would work together to decide whether a case should be referred to a fitness to practise hearing.

The GOC’s Investigation Committee, which considers all complaints, will continue to decide on cases where the case examiners did not agree or where a formal assessment of a registrant’s health or performance was required.