Fitness to practice

If you have concerns regarding a UKPHR registrant for any reason you can contact us. We will take action when a public health professional’s ability, behaviour or health means it is not appropriate for them to continue working as a public health professional. We will look carefully at any allegation we receive. The action we can take may range from an advice letter to removing or restricting the public health professional’s registration.

Rules

UKPHR’s fitness to practice rules shall apply whenever UKPHR receives information about the health, conduct or performance of a Registrant including information provided by a Registrant which raises concern about his or her fitness to practise. These set of rules apply to Registrants even when they have relinquished their registration.

Panel

The membership of the Fitness to Practise Panel is determined by the Board. Its members are entirely independent of the Board and shall not sit on the Board or on any of its Committees. It can decide what action, if any, to take in relation to a registrant’s registration if their fitness to practise is found to be impaired. These possible actions include conditions, suspension and erasure.

Appropriate legal advice will be retained in relation to these functions. Its functions are to investigate and/or sift complaints of misconduct against a registrant.  The complaint will be addressed to the Board in writing by outside bodies or persons, or initiated by the Board itself. Any member of the Panel who is involved in the investigation of a complaint shall not sit on either the summary hearing panel or the disciplinary committee which deals with the complaint. It determines whether or not a prima facie case of misconduct has been disclosed and to deal with the matter in accordance with the rules set by the Board.

The Panel will ensure that a record of all complaints made against public health specialists and public health practitioners is maintained and that all decisions in relation to such complaints by the appropriate committee is kept.