Medical student fitness to practise hearings: ensuring procedural fairness

Abstract

Medical schools are responsible for determining the fitness to practise of individual medical students. The General Medical Council (GMC) does not have any direct authority to deal with or advise on individual cases of undergraduate student fitness to practise or disciplinary issues. Each medical school or its associated university must have its own procedures to consider the fitness to practise of medical students, and this has resulted in local variations. Medical student fitness to practise hearings are managed by universities rather than by teams of lawyers, but whoever is involved and whatever the precise procedures, those involved must make sure that students are dealt with fairly. This article sets out the governing principles to ensure fairness, namely Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights and the rules of natural justice.