Mr Andrew P Friend

Preliminary Matters

Service

1.          The Panel has seen copies of the letter of notice sent to the Registrant by email on 22 August 2025 addressed to the registered email address as shown on the HCPC register. That letter of notice contained the correct details of today’s hearing in terms of time, date and mode of hearing. The Panel was therefore satisfied that the Registrant had been properly served with notice of today’s hearing.

Proceeding in the Registrant’s absence

2.          The HCPC made an application for the hearing to proceed in the Registrant’s absence on the grounds that he had deliberately and voluntarily absented himself from today’s hearing. The Panel was reminded that the Registrant self-referred in September 2019, but has not engaged with the HCPC since 2021, and had absented himself from all previous hearings. There is further evidence before the Panel today of the level of his disengagement with the HCPC process.

3.          The Panel had regard to the HCPTS Practice Note on ‘Proceeding in the Absence of the Registrant’ and accepted the advice of the Legal Assessor.

4.          The Panel noted that the Registrant had been sent, as part of today’s hearing arrangements, three emails and these had then been followed up by a telephone call. There is a file note in which it is recorded that when the HCPC called the Registrant on 19 September 2025 whoever answered the phone hung up as soon as they heard that it was a call from the HCPC. It had been assumed by the caller that it was the Registrant who had answered the call. The Panel accepted this series of attempts to make contact with the Registrant as evidence of his continued wish to not be involved with, nor contacted by, the HCPC.  

5.          Today’s hearing is a mandatory review of a substantive order which must take place before the current order expires on 11 October 2025. The Panel was satisfied that the Registrant had voluntarily absented himself and waived his right to attend. The Panel considered that the Registrant would be unlikely to attend if the hearing were adjourned to another date and therefore concluded that no useful purpose would be served by an adjournment.

6.          The Panel decided that it was in the public interest, and indeed in the Registrant’s own interests, for the review to take place without delay. The Panel therefore determined that it should proceed with the hearing in the Registrant’s absence.

Hearing in private

7.          The HCPC made an application for the entire hearing to be conducted in private on the grounds that the case wholly relates to the Registrant’s health. The Panel was directed to rule 10(1)(a) of the Health and Care Professions Council (Health Committee)(Procedure) Rules 2003 as amended which states: the proceedings shall be held in public unless the Committee is satisfied that, in the interests of justice or for the protection of the private life of the registrant, the complainant, any person giving evidence or of any patient or client, the public should be excluded from all or part of the hearing.  

8.          The Panel had regard to the HCPTS Practice Note on ‘Conducting Hearings in Private’ and accepted the advice of the Legal Assessor that the Panel’s power to hear this matter in private was a discretionary one and that in accordance with the open justice principle there is a presumption that all hearings will be in public so far as it is possible without infringing the Registrant’s right to a private life.

9.          The Panel decided to grant the application for the entire hearing to be conducted in private. The Panel considered that it would be impractical to conduct the hearing partly in private, as the issues at the core of this matter related to the Registrant’s health. In such circumstances the right of the Registrant to a private life outweighed those of the public.

ORDER: The Registrar is directed to strike the name of Andrew Friend from the Register on the date this Order comes into effect.

The Strike-off Order imposed will apply from 11 October 2025.

History of Hearings for Mr Andrew P Friend