Miss Katie Shinner

Preliminary Matters

Service and Proceeding in absence

1. The Panel was satisfied that notice of today’s hearing had been properly served on the Registrant in terms of Rules 3 and 13 of the Health Committee (Procedure) Rules 2003 (the Rules) and thereafter considered the HCPC’s application to proceed in the Registrant’s absence, together with the advice of the Legal Assessor.

2. The Panel was aware that the Registrant had submitted an application to adjourn today’s hearing and that this application was refused by the Chair on 6 December 2019. In her decision the Chair had advised the Registrant that she could make a further adjournment application before the Panel today. No such application has been made.

3. The Panel is aware that the discretion to proceed in absence is one which should be exercised with the utmost care and caution. The Panel has borne in mind the need to strike a careful balance between the Registrant’s interests and the wider public interest. The Panel has taken account of the considerations set out in the HCPTS Practice Note “Proceeding in the Absence of the Registrant”.

4. Ms Ktisti has advised the Panel that in addition to the Notice of Hearing which was sent by post and email on 14 November 2019, a further letter was sent to the Registrant on 18 November 2019 reminding her of the previous panel’s guidance as to what may assist a reviewing panel. Ms Ktisti also reminded the Panel that this was a mandatory review and that the current Order was due to expire on 11 January 2020.

5. The Panel has therefore concluded that, in all of these circumstances, it is in the public interest to proceed in the Registrant’s absence, given that this is a mandatory review and that the Order is due to expire on 11 January 2020. In reaching this decision, the Panel has borne in mind that it is open to the Registrant to apply for an early review should a further Order be made by the Panel today.

Proceeding in private

6. The Panel next considered Ms Ktisti’s application to hold this hearing in private in terms of Rule 10(1)(a) of the Rules, as the matters relied upon related solely to the Registrant’s health issues. Having accepted the advice of the Legal Assessor and considered the Practice Note on “Conducting Hearings in Private”, the Panel agreed to grant the application, having concluded that the right of the Registrant to protection of her private life and confidentiality of her health issues outweighed the general presumption of hearings being conducted in public.

The Panel directs the Registrar to extend the current Suspension Order for a period of 6 months from its expiry in terms of Article 30(1)(a) of the Health Professions Order 2001.

The Order imposed today will apply from 11 January 2020.

This Order will be reviewed again before its expiry on 11 July 2020.

History of Hearings for Miss Katie Shinner