Recommendations
The research explores the experiences of patients, families and colleagues who act as witnesses in fitness to practise proceedings across the UK’s 13 statutory health and social care regulators. While these processes aim to protect the public, the research shows that witnesses often find fitness to practise processes distressing, confusing and retraumatising.
The study produced 20 recommendations, including calling for:
- trauma informed communication
- improved accessibility of information
- better support before and after hearings
- clearer explanations of decisions
- more opportunities for witnesses to express the personal impact of events.
The study also advocates for system wide cultural change to ensure witnesses are treated with dignity, compassion and respect.
What we have done to address these findings
We’re committed to continuously improving the experience of those involved in our fitness to practise processes. Here are some of the steps we’ve taken recently.
- We used some of the findings of the Witness to Harm research to improve the accessibility of our fitness to practise guidance.
- We’re embedding a trauma informed approach to fitness to practise processes through training staff and panel members. We’ve also introduced further guidance, such as our Practice Note on trauma informed practice in hearings. The Witness to Harm report recognises and endorses our work in this area.
- Witnesses and people who have raised a concern about a worker with us now have access to free, independent support with their mental health and wellbeing through our Fitness to Practise Wellbeing line.
- We carried out a person-centred review of our processes and made detailed changes to improve how we communicate with those involved in investigations and how we explain decisions.
- We provide extensive support to witnesses involved in hearings through our Hearing Officers, who are all qualified Mental Health First Aiders.
- We provided training to our panel members on questioning techniques.
What we plan to do next
The feedback we receive from witnesses who have been through our hearing process is generally very positive. However, we recognise we can do more. Over the next 12 months, we plan to:
- update our Fitness to Practise Rules, including a revised definition of who can be considered a vulnerable witness
- explore the introduction of an independent advocacy service for certain groups involved in fitness to practise investigations
- review what more we can do to better prepare workers and witnesses before hearings.
Your input
We’re always keen to hear from you about how we can improve the experience of people involved in our fitness to practise processes. If you have any suggestions you would like to share, please contact us.
Read more
Those involved in the Witness to Harm research recently published a detailed article on their findings, which you can read on the National Institute for Health and Care Research website.