The General Pharmaceutical Council (Fitness to Practise and Disqualification etc. Rules) Order of Council 2010

Interpretation

2.—(1) In these Rules—

“the Act” means the Medicines Act 1968(1);

“the Order” means the Pharmacy Order 2010;

“allegation” means a criminal conduct allegation, a disqualification allegation, a fitness to practise allegation or a health allegation;

“the Appeals Committee Rules” means the General Pharmaceutical Council (Appeals Committee) Rules 2010(2);

“applicant concerned” means an applicant (or, where appropriate their representatives) for—

(a)

registration or renewal of registration whose application has been referred to the Committee for advice;

(b)

restoration of registration;

“the chair” means the chair of the Committee;

“the Committee” means the Fitness to Practise Committee established by virtue of article 4(6)(b) of the Order;

“criminal conduct allegation” means a complaint to, or concern of, the Council which gives rise or may give rise to criminal proceedings under any enactment;

“disqualification allegation” means a complaint to, or concern of, the Council which gives rise to, or may give rise to, an inquiry under Part 4 of the Act;

“fitness to practise allegation” means a complaint to, or concern of, the Council which is an allegation for the purposes of article 52(1), 53(1) or 54(1) of the Order, as appropriate;

“health allegation” means a complaint to, or a concern of, the Council which gives rise to, or may give rise to, an inquiry that a person’s fitness to practise is impaired by reason of article 51(1)(c) of the Order;

“informant” means a person who makes a complaint, or who raises a concern, to the Council relating to any person;

“interim order” means an interim order under article 56 of the Order;

“interim order hearing” means a hearing solely for the purposes of considering whether to make, confirm, vary, replace or revoke an interim order;

“legal adviser” means the person appointed to be a legal adviser under, or by virtue of rules under, article 63(1) of the Order in relation to the proceedings in question;

“parties” means the Council and the person concerned (or, where appropriate, their representatives) and “party”, except in the phrase “section 80 party”, is to be construed accordingly;

“person concerned” means, as the case may be, an applicant concerned, a registrant concerned or a section 80 party;

“prescribed fee” means a fee prescribed in rules under article 36(1) of the Order;

“the presenter” means the person instructed to represent the Council at a hearing (and includes employees of the Council);

“principal hearing” means—

(a)

in fitness to practise proceedings, a hearing of the Committee held in connection with making a determination under article 54(1) of the Order (as opposed to any further hearing to consider varying or revoking any direction given as a consequence of a finding of impairment); and

(b)

in disqualification proceedings, a hearing of the Committee held in connection with giving a direction under section 80 of the Act;

“registrant concerned” in the context of fitness to practise proceedings or proceedings under Part 4 of the Registration Rules, means the registrant who is the subject of the allegation or investigation to which those proceedings relate (or, where appropriate, their representatives);

“Registration Rules” means the General Pharmaceutical Council (Registration) Rules 2010(3);

“restoration hearing” means a hearing in fitness to practise proceedings to consider an application for restoration to the Register;

“review hearing” means a hearing for the purpose of—

(a)

reviewing directions issued by the Committee under article 54(2)(d) or (e) of the Order;

(b)

reviewing undertakings agreed by the Committee; or

(c)

revoking a direction by virtue of section 83(1) of the Act;

“secretary” means, except in relation to references to the secretary of the Investigating Committee, the secretary of the Committee;

“section 80 party” means an individual who, or a body corporate which, is subject to proceedings before the Committee in connection with the giving of a direction under section 80(1) or (4) of the Act (or, where appropriate, their representatives);

“threshold criteria” means the criteria published by the Council under article 52(2)(a) of the Order, as amended from time to time;

“witness” means a person who gives evidence, or whose evidence is received, at a hearing.

(2) For the purposes of these Rules—

(a) a meeting or hearing of the Committee, other than when it is deliberating in private, is considered to be “in private” if it is held in the presence of—

(i) the parties and any person present who is representing a party,

(ii) the person acting as secretary,

(iii) any witness giving evidence,

(iv) any legal, clinical or specialist adviser,

(v) any person responsible for the recording of the proceedings, or

(vi) any other person whose presence is deemed necessary by the chair,

but otherwise excluding everyone else; and

(b) a meeting of the Investigating Committee and the private deliberations of that Committee are considered to be “in private” if they are held in the presence of—

(i) the person acting as secretary to that Committee,

(ii) any legal, clinical or specialist adviser, or

(iii) any person responsible for the recording of the proceedings,

but otherwise excluding everyone else.

(1)

1968 c.67. Relevant amendments are made by Schedule 4 to the Order.

(2)

Scheduled to S.I. 2010/1614.

(3)

Scheduled to S.I. 2010/1617.