Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service

How do MPTS hearings work?

Tribunal Tweets are reporting on the ongoing medical practitioners hearing for Drs Helen and Michael Webberley, the married couple behind Gender GP. We also reported on the MPTS hearing of Dr Adrian Harrop. This page sets out a brief overview of how Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) hearings work and provides links to the relevant MPTS webpages.

The General Medical Council (GMC) refers a case against a doctor following a GMC investigation into concerns raised about them. The MPTS runs the independent hearings, which make independent decisions about whether doctors are fit to practise medicine. The hearings are public, except where they're considering confidential information, or information about a doctor’s health. When the hearings are in private session this is sometimes referred to as being “in camera”.

There are three stages: Facts stage, Impairment stage and Sanction stage with the overview diagram of each stage copied below.

What are Interim Orders Tribunals?

The MPTS also has a process for restricting a doctor’s practice for up to 18 months while a complaint is being investigated and/or a tribunal into their practice is ongoing.  Further details can be found here.