Strike off No.3

Sadly, a recent client was struck off from the HCPC register. There had been an extended and complicated fitness to practice process, with the final HCPC hearing delayed three times before finally taking place over 5 days last month. My client had come to me because he had lost confidence in his previous legal representatives.

Despite attempting to have the case moved to the Health Committee (where a registrant cannot be struck off) and adducing medical evidence, from a consultant psychiatrist, in the registrant’s defence, the panel ultimately found that my client’s admitted dishonesty over a period of about a year merited the ultimate sanction.

There are few fitness to practice cases that I take where I feel that even with my representation, striking off is a realistic possibility, and this was one of them. Even though my opponent very graciously (and unusually) took the time after the hearing to call me and congratulate me on the quality of my closing speech, it was a tough decision to take.

Reflecting back on the case, I know that we could have done more. There were two crucial areas where I wasn’t able to get my client to follow my advice to the letter - and it was in those two areas, to do with insight and remediation, that the case was lost.

So, the third client to be struck off in my years of doing regulatory work. I will work even harder to persuade clients to give everything in their defence and to keep that ultimate sanction at bay for even longer.