Welcome to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) virtual hearings centre. The virtual tour shows our venue at Stratford Place in London. This is one of our dedicated NMC hearings venues. We also hold hearings at other approved venues across the UK.

The virtual hearings centre should help you to become familiar with the environment before attending an NMC hearing. Click on the icons around the rooms to learn more about the people and facilities at the hearing.

Our hearings centres have dedicated waiting rooms for witnesses waiting to give evidence. If you are a witness, when you arrive at the hearings centre you will be taken to the witness waiting room by a member of NMC staff.

The registrant is the nurse, midwife or nursing associate who has been referred to the NMC. If you are a registrant, when you arrive at the venue you will be directed to the registrant waiting room. You can use this space to prepare your case before the hearing and during breaks.

The hearing room is where the hearing takes place. When you arrive at the hearings venue you will be told which hearing room you will be attending.

Hearings are usually held in public, unless confidential matters such as the registrant’s health are being discussed.

Click on the icons around the room to learn more about the people present in the hearing.

When you arrive at the hearings centre you should report to reception. The reception staff will record your attendance and direct you to your allocated waiting area. They will inform the panel secretary of your arrival. The panel secretary will collect you when you are required in the hearing room.

Reception staff are available to help you throughout the day. Please speak with them if you have any questions.

Seating is available in reception for any members of the public waiting to observe a hearing.

There are small meeting rooms available which can be used by anyone needing a quiet space.

In the witness waiting room you will find information about giving evidence, along with other reading materials including books and magazines. Our main hearings centres also have televisions, power ports and Wi-Fi available.

If you are attending as a witness you are advised to bring a book or magazine with you. You may be required to wait some time before being called to give evidence.

The NMC case presenter (a lawyer who presents the case and calls evidence on behalf of the NMC) and the registrant may call witnesses to give evidence at the hearing. As a witness, you will be asked to wait in the waiting room until being called to give evidence.

Witness liaison officers and hearings staff are available to provide information and support to all witnesses, including defence witnesses, throughout the day.

Witness liaison officers and hearings staff will explain our processes and what to expect when giving your evidence. Please speak with a member of staff if you have any queries or concerns.

Refreshments are available for witnesses waiting to give evidence.

The registrant is the nurse, midwife or nursing associate who has been referred to the NMC.

Registrants are sometimes represented by a solicitor, barrister, trade union or other representative. Their representative presents the case on their behalf.

Upon arrival at the hearings centre, representatives will be directed to the registrant waiting room. They can use this space to consult with the registrant before the hearing and during breaks.

In the registrant waiting room you will find information and reading materials, including copies of the Code. Photocopying facilities are available for use by registrants and their representatives. Refreshments are also available. Please speak with a member of staff for assistance.

The panel chair is an experienced panel member and is responsible for the proceedings. The chair can either be a lay member or a registrant member of the panel.

There are three members of the panel. At least one panellist will be a nurse or midwife. There will also be at least one lay member on the panel. This means they are from outside the profession and not on the NMC register. One member of the panel will chair the hearing.

Panel members hear the evidence presented to them and make a decision on the case. They are independent of the NMC and completely impartial.

The legal assessor is independent and is an experienced barrister or solicitor. The legal assessor advises the panel on points of law. The legal assessor plays an impartial role and does not take part in the decision-making process.

The panel secretary is a member of NMC staff. They help the panel to run the hearing and draft its decision. The panel secretary takes no part in the decision-making process.

The panel secretary is a key point of contact for registrants, witnesses and observers throughout the hearing. They will collect you when you are required in the hearing room.

The case presenter is a lawyer who presents the case and calls evidence on behalf of the NMC.

The registrant is the nurse, midwife or nursing associate who has been referred to the NMC. They may or may not be present at the hearing and they may also be represented by a solicitor, barrister, trade union or other representative. Their representative presents the case on their behalf.

The case presenter and the registrant may call witnesses in support of their case. Witnesses are required to take an oath or affirmation before answering questions put to them by the NMC, the registrant (or if represented, their representative) and the panel.

There may be a shorthand writer or logger present throughout the hearing, in both public and private sessions, to record the proceedings.

Most NMC hearings are open to members of the public. There will sometimes be observers, including journalists, in the room.