Mrs Melanie E Hood
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Allegation
Your fitness to practise as a Physiotherapist is impaired by reason of your health.
Finding
Preliminary matters
Service
1. The Panel was satisfied that there was good service of the Notice of Hearing by an email sent to the Registrant’s registered email address on 15 December 2022, which informed the Registrant of the date, time and purpose of the hearing and that it would be conducted remotely via video conference.
Proceeding in Absence
2. The Presenting Officer, on behalf of the HCPC, made an application for the hearing to proceed in the absence of the Registrant under Rule 11 of the Rules. He informed the Panel that there had been no engagement at all by the Registrant. He noted that the Order in place needs to be reviewed before its expiry on 25 February 2023 and submitted that there was no indication that the Registrant would attend on a future date, were the Panel to adjourn the hearing today. The Presenting Officer submitted that the Registrant had voluntarily absented herself from today’s hearing.
3. The Panel accepted the advice of the Legal Assessor. It had regard to the guidance in the HCPTS Practice Note Proceeding in the absence of the Registrant, and to Rule 11 of the Health Professions Council (Health Committee) (Procedure) Rules 2003 (the Rules). The Panel was mindful that the Registrant has not engaged with this hearing process and had not attended either the substantive hearing or the previous two review hearings. The Panel noted that the Registrant has had no contact with the HCPC and has not applied for an adjournment.
4. In reaching its decision, the Panel had regard to the overall interests of justice and fairness to all parties. The Panel concluded that the HCPC had made all reasonable efforts to contact the Registrant and invite her to participate, but that there had been no engagement by the Registrant with the HCPC. It concluded that she had waived her right to attend the hearing today. The Panel had no reason to believe that an adjournment would result in the Registrant’s attendance at some future date. It further recognised that there was a public interest in conducting a mandatory review of the substantive order currently in place.
5. Accordingly, having weighed the interests of the Registrant with those of the HCPC and the strong public interest in an expeditious disposal of this hearing, the Panel determined that it was fair to proceed in the Registrant’s absence. Without a review, the Suspension Order will expire on 25 February 2023. In the Panel’s judgment, it was in the public interest that a decision be made at this time as to whether the Registrant’s fitness to practise remains impaired. Moreover, it was in the Registrant’s own interests that decisions be made as to whether any further order is needed in respect of her registration.
Hearing in private
6. The Presenting Officer made an application for the entire hearing to be conducted in private, under Rule 10(1)(a), so as to protect the private life of the Registrant, as the case concerned the Registrant’s health. Having received advice from the Legal Assessor, the Panel granted that application in view of the principles set out in the HCPTS Practice Note, Conducting Hearings in Private. As such this is a redacted version of the Panel’s full decision.
Order
Order: The Registrar is directed to strike the registration of Mrs Melanie E Hood from the register on the expiry of the existing order.
Notes
The Order imposed today will apply from 25 February 2023.
Hearing History
History of Hearings for Mrs Melanie E Hood
Date | Panel | Hearing type | Outcomes / Status |
---|---|---|---|
26/01/2023 | Health Committee | Review Hearing | Struck off |
25/01/2022 | Health Committee | Review Hearing | Suspended |
25/01/2021 | Health Committee | Review Hearing | Suspended |
27/01/2020 | Health Committee | Final Hearing | Suspended |