An interim order is a temporary restriction on your practice, by conditions or suspension, while a fitness to practise case is still being investigated. It is not a finding that the concerns are proven. Orders can last up to 18 months at a time and are reviewed at least every six months. At CrownEthics, we wrote this guide for doctors, nurses, midwives and nursing associates who are facing, or worried about, an interim order.

What is an interim order?

An interim order is a temporary restriction on your practice while a fitness to practise case is still being investigated. It is not a finding that the concerns are proven. The NMC says an interim order is imposed before a panel has made any findings of fact, and that panels do not consider whether the concerns have been proven. It can take the form of conditions on your practice, or suspension.

What is the difference between GMC and NMC interim orders?

When are interim orders considered?

The NMC says screening staff assess each concern for risk and that interim orders can be made at any time in the process, though they are usually made early. It gives examples such as a serious lack of competence or poor clinical practice, serious convictions or imprisonment, and serious illness. The GMC says it refers a case to a tribunal while it investigates a complaint about a doctor, if it believes a restriction is needed.

What happens at the hearing?

The NMC says it aims to hold the hearing as soon as possible and sends the papers to the panel and to you in advance. You are encouraged to attend, or to send documents if you cannot. A case presenter explains why an order is needed, and you or your representative can respond. The GMC says interim hearings are held in private, though a doctor can request a public hearing.

Because the hearing can happen quickly, contact your defence organisation, union or representative as soon as you hear that one is being considered.

What happens at a review?

A panel reviews the order at least every six months. The NMC says it can continue, replace, vary or remove the order. At the GMC, a review can be held on the papers, without either side attending, but only if both parties agree on a proposed outcome. Reviews are where evidence of insight and change can matter, because the question is whether the restriction is still needed.

What if the order is breached, or you disagree with it?

Do not breach an interim order. If you are suspended, you must not practise. If a condition becomes unworkable, tell your representative so it can be raised at a review. The NMC says you can ask for an earlier review where there is relevant new information. If you disagree with the decision itself, ask your representative about your options, including any right of appeal.

How can remediation help?

An interim order is not a finding, but it can last a long time. Using that time well can matter: learning that matches the concern, a specific reflection and evidence of changed practice help show insight. See our guides to insight and remediation and the remediation portfolio checklist. To see where an interim order sits in the wider process, read how the GMC and NMC case examiner stages work, and what GMC and NMC undertakings and conditions mean.

Our fitness to practise courses explain each stage of the process and include Insight, Reflection and Remediation, which support the evidence side. No course can promise an outcome or replace advice from your defence organisation, union or representative.

Sources: the MPTS page on interim orders tribunals and the NMC pages on interim orders and how they work. Check the regulator’s website for current guidance.