There are two case examiners per case. One will be a nurse, midwife or nursing associate, and one won't.
It's their job to consider the evidence and decide if there's a case to answer.
When deciding if there's a case to answer, case examiners need to look at whether there's a real possibility that a Fitness to Practise Committee would decide from the evidence that:
- the incident in the concern did happen, or that the issues (such as a health condition) are still present
- the nurse, midwife or nursing associate's fitness to practise is currently impaired.
They also decide what happens next to the case.
Possible outcomes case examiners can make
No case to answer
If the case examiners decide that there isn't a case to answer, they can:
- give advice (this is private and won’t be put on the public register), or
- give a warning (this is public, put onto our register, and last for 12 months), or
- take no action.
Whichever approach the case examiner chooses, the case will be closed if they decide that there isn’t a case to answer.
A case to answer
If case examiners decide there’s a case to answer, case examiners can:
- recommend undertakings, or
- decide that a case needs to be looked at by a fitness to practise panel at a meeting or hearing.
