Any person may apply to the Fitness to Practise Committee of An Bord Altranais for an inquiry into the fitness of a nurse to practise nursing on the grounds of (a) alleged professional misconduct or (b) alleged unfitness to engage in such practice by reason of physical or mental disability.
The complaint must be sent in writing to the Office of the Chief Executive Officer stating the nature of the complaint and identifying the nurse(s) involved in the complaint.
Once a complaint has been received, An Bord Altranais will identify the named person to ensure that the nurse/midwife is a registered nurse/midwife with An Bord Altranais as complaints can only be made against registered nurses/midwives. An Bord Altranais request that confirmation be received from the complainant of the grounds upon which they wish to make the complaint, professional misconduct or unfitness to engage in the practice of nursing by reason of physical or mental disability or both. Following this, the letter of complaint is sent to the nurse/midwife for their comments in relation to the complaint. The nurse/midwife is advised that they may wish to contact their union representative and/or legal representation.
When all the correspondence is received, the documentation is forwarded to the Fitness to Practise Committee to consider whether or not there is a prima facie case for holding an inquiry.
If the Fitness to Practise Committee decide that there is a prima facie case for holding and Inquiry, the nurse/midwife is informed of this decision and the Inquiry process is started. The complainant is informed that an Inquiry is to be held and they will be required to assist in the Inquiry process.
If the Fitness to Practise Committee decide that there is not a prima facie case for holding an Inquiry the nurse/midwife is informed of this decision and the compainant is informed that there will not be an Inquiry and that the file is now closed.
In cases where the complainant has only made the complaint on one ground (a) or (b) and the Committee have decided that there is a prima facie case to hold an inquiry on both grounds, the Board may become the applicant on the other ground (a) or (b).