How it works

Erasure, suspension and conditions compared

The main sanctions a UK tribunal can impose differ in how long they last and whether a doctor can keep practising.

• Under section 35D of the Medical Act 1983, a tribunal that finds a doctor's fitness to practise impaired may direct erasure from the register, suspension for up to twelve months, or conditions for up to three years.¹
• Erasure is not available in a health case or a language case.¹
• An erased doctor cannot apply to be restored to the register until five years after erasure, and not more than once in any twelve months.²
• If a second or later restoration application fails, a tribunal can suspend the doctor's right to apply again indefinitely, subject to review after three years.²
• Conditions restrict a doctor's practice for a set period. The MPTS usually schedules a review hearing when it imposes them, and that hearing decides whether to extend, change or remove the restrictions.³
• In the United States the comparable terms differ. The FSMB describes revocation as meaning a physician can no longer practise in that state, and suspension as meaning the physician may not practise for a specified period.⁴
• Since 24 November 2025 MPTS tribunals assess the level of risk to public protection and apply a sanction band for the relevant case type, according to the law firm DAC Beachcroft.⁵

Sources

1. legislation.gov.uk, Medical Act 1983, section 35D, Functions of a Medical Practitioners Tribunal (28 October 2026)
2. legislation.gov.uk, Medical Act 1983, section 41, Restoration of names to the register (28 October 2026)
3. General Medical Council, How we monitor sanctions (28 October 2026)
4. Federation of State Medical Boards, About physician discipline (28 October 2026)
5. DAC Beachcroft, Sanctions overhaul for doctors, changes in effect from 24 November 2025 (20 November 2025)