No change to way witnesses in GOsC hearings give evidence

The Professional Conduct Committee (PCC) held a consultation earlier this year about changing the way witnesses give evidence at fitness to practise hearings.

The consultation ran from 17 July to 30 September and the PCC considered carefully the responses to the consultation when it met on 17 October 2011. It decided that there should be no change to the current procedure under which witnesses of fact read out their statements, copies of which have been provided to the panels and parties.

The consultation was undertaken by the PCC as a committee of the GOsC created by statute and independent of the GOsC in making decisions on the cases that come before it and in deciding its own procedures (unless specified in the relevant statutory rules) including the way in which witnesses give evidence.

The members of the PCC concluded that, taking into account the public interest and fairness to the parties, the arguments against the change outweighed those in favour of it. The Committee also took full account of the fact that there had been an overwhelming response against the proposed change, including from osteopaths, from those who often represent the parties and from the GOsC’s own Fitness to Practise Policy Committee. The PCC considered that it would be inappropriate to take forward a change which does not have support from these groups or from the GOsC.