The concept of seriousness in fitness to practise cases (February 2022)

Summary

This study presents the findings of ‘The concept of seriousness in fitness to practise’ project commissioned by the General Dental Council (GDC) and the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). The project took place between December 2019 and September 2021 and investigated how seriousness in Fitness to Practise (FtP) cases is understood and applied by health professions regulators.

The research aimed to:

• develop an understanding of how the concept of seriousness in relation to misconduct is defined and applied by professional regulators, and to identify the considerations that influence that application.
• achieve a clearer understanding of the similarities and differences in approaches across regulation and reasons for these.
• describe the relationship between professional misconduct, enforcement actions and the statutory objectives of healthcare regulation.