If you’re coming to a hearing, we will help you with some costs like travel and accommodation.
Accommodation and travel
Your case coordinator will contact you about travel and hotel arrangements if necessary. We’ll send you your tickets and other information you need around a week before the hearing.
If you have any special requirements that you’d like us to consider, please let your case coordinator know.
We’re funded by the fees from nurses, midwives and nursing associates, so we try to keep costs low wherever possible. Because of this, we ask our witnesses to use public transport instead of taxis or their own car.
If you feel you need to use your own car or a taxi, you should discuss this with the case coordinator before the hearing.
Lost earnings
Normally you can claim back lost earnings if you were meant to be at work on the day of the hearing. These claims are considered on a case-by-case basis, so you should raise this with your case coordinator before the hearing.
If your claim is approved by the case coordinator, you should complete a witness expense form and return it to us as soon as possible after the hearing.
Child care
You shouldn’t bring children to the hearing if possible. We’re able to help with childcare costs, so please discuss this with the case coordinator before the hearing.
If you have no other option than to bring children with you, you’ll need to bring another adult to look after them while you’re giving evidence.
We don’t have childcare available on site and our staff can’t take responsibility for children, even for short periods. We’ll only agree to pay expenses for the person accompanying you in exceptional circumstances (for example, if you need to bring your baby with you because you’re breastfeeding).
Food
Light refreshments are provided for all witnesses in the witness waiting room in each of our hearing centres. If you have any special dietary requirements, let your case coordinator know before the hearing and we’ll do our best to accommodate this.
If you want to leave the hearing centre to get lunch, please let the receptionist know or panel secretary know so they can make a note of this and make sure the hearing won’t be disrupted. We won’t reimburse the cost of your lunch if you decided to leave and buy it outside.
If you’re staying overnight in a hotel, your breakfast and dinner will be charged to your hotel room so that we can pay for them.
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