Mr Joe Davies

Service
1. The Notice of Hearing was sent to the Registrant on the 17 September 2021. The Registrant attended the Hearing and was unrepresented.
Proceedings in Private.

2. Ms Sampson, who appeared for the HCPC, applied for the entirety of the Hearing to be heard in private, given that this was a matter that related to the health of the Registrant, pursuant to Rule 10(1) (a) of the Health and Care Professions Council (Health Committee) Rules 2003 (“the Rules”).

3. The Panel accepted the advice of the Legal Assessor and had regard to the HCPTS Practice Note entitled “Conducting Hearings in Private”.

4. The Panel bore in mind the principle of open justice and weighed this against the right to private life. The Panel noted that this was a matter involving an application to revoke a Suspension Order and replace it with a Voluntary Removal Agreement. The issues in this case have always been inextricably linked to the Registrant’s health. The Panel is satisfied that this is an appropriate case for the exercise of its discretion to conduct the entirety of the Hearing in private so as not to compromise the Registrant’s right to a private life.

Decision
5. In reaching its decision, the Panel has considered all the information before it. In particular, the signed voluntary removal agreement dated 11 October 2021. It has considered the submissions made by Ms Sampson and the oral evidence of the Registrant at today’s hearing. It has had in mind the Council’s guidance ‘Disposal of Cases by Consent’. It has accepted the advice of the Legal Assessor.

6. The Panel is aware that it must consider the public interest. This includes not only the protection of service users, but also the maintenance of public confidence in the profession and in the Council as Regulator and the declaring and the upholding of proper standards of conduct and of behaviour. It must also consider the Registrant’s interests.

7. In this case, the Panel is satisfied that the Voluntary Removal Agreement will provide adequate protection to the public. The agreement is the equivalent of a Striking Off Order. Furthermore, there has been proper scrutiny by the Health Committee of the Registrant’s conduct and his fitness to practise was found to be impaired. The Panel has taken into account that the Registrant has engaged in these proceedings, has good insight and self-referred to both his employer and to the HCPC. In signing the voluntary removal agreement, the Registrant has agreed to cease practice and, in his oral evidence before the Panel, and in the written document that he submitted prior to this Hearing, he confirmed that he does not ever intend to return to work as a Paramedic.

8. In all the circumstances, the Panel has concluded that it is in the public interest and also in the Registrant’s interest that the current Suspension Order should now be revoked. Accordingly, the Panel Chair has signed the Notice of Withdrawal.

ORDER: The Panel approves the voluntary removal agreement signed by the HCPC and by the Registrant and agrees to his removal from the Register with immediate effect.

A virtual hearing was held on Monday 18 October 2021 and voluntary removal agreed.

History of Hearings for Mr Joe Davies