Health and Personal Social Services (Disciplinary Procedures) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996

Preparation for the hearing

4.—(1) The Board which has appointed the discipline committee shall in writing—

(a) inform the parties—

(i) that there will be a hearing,

(ii) of the names of the members and deputy members of the discipline committee;

(b) send to the parties copies of any further correspondence relevant to the disciplinary matter, and

(c) request in writing each party to forward to the discipline committee, within 14 days from the date of the request, copies of any documentary evidence, and of the names of any witnesses, which that party proposes to produce or call at the hearing.

(2) The discipline committee shall give to the parties and the Secretary of the relevant Local Representative Committee, not less than 21 days' notice in writing of the date, time and place of the hearing and shall include with the notice to each party—

(a) a copy of any documents supplied by the other party pursuant to a request under sub-paragraph (1)(c);

(b) a request to that party to notify the discipline committee in writing whether or not he intends to attend the hearing.

(3) The chairman of the discipline committee may, upon the application of any party, postpone the hearing if he is satisfied that the attendance of the party or any witness on the date fixed for the hearing is not reasonably practicable, or for any other reason he thinks fit, in which case the provisions of sub-paragraph (2) shall apply as respects the postponed hearing.

(4) The Board which has appointed the discipline committee shall, not less than 7 days before the date fixed for the hearing, supply—

(a) to each member of the discipline committee; and

(b) to the relevant Local Representative Committee,

copies of the appropriate Board’s statement of case, of any response of the practitioner, of any comments made under paragraph 2(2)(a)(ii) and of any further observations or correspondence between the parties.