A fortnight’s worth of hearings

I’ve just finished 15 straight hearing days, with cases listed across three regulators (the NMC, HCPC and SWE).

Results were:

7 day SWE hearing did not finish - adjourned

1 day SWE hearing did not finish - adjourned

2 day NMC hearing - concluded successfully

4 day HCPC hearing - concluded successfully

1 day HCPC hearing - concluded successfully

The NMC hearing was a very rare beast indeed, an application to review a striking off order. So rare, that the NMC only have records of there being a single other such case.

We showed that when my client was struck off for misconduct, she had actually been suffering from a mental illness which had more than likely caused her erratic behaviour.

In the course of doing so, we also managed to get the NMC to fund the expert’s report required. My client and their family were ecstatic with the result.

The first HCPC hearing was a final hearing with the panel considering allegations of dishonesty involving £16,000. Strike off was a distinct probability. Because my client followed advice and took my “tough love”, as they called it (or as I call it, strong advice), they were only suspended from the register for 4 months.

Here, one of our witnesses was one of the victims of my client’s actions, but agreed to give character evidence in their favour. Again, client and family, and also boss, very happy with the outcome.

The last HCPC hearing was an interim order hearing, to review an interim conditions of practice order. These interim orders are not easy to remove, but because of our tactics earlier in the case, we were able to get it removed at this hearing. The panel stated in their decision that they “found the oral submissions of Mr Walker today to be informative and persuasive” - I’ll take that!

For the next few days I’ll be at my desk dealing with Case Examiner responses, reviewing bundles and such like - if you have a problem, now’s a good time to catch me..