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.
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.
Once the complainant has identified the grounds upon which the complaint is being made the complainant becomes the applicant. Following this, the letter of complaint is sent to the nurse/midwife for their comments in relation to the complaint.
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 an Inquiry, the nurse/midwife is informed of this decision and the Inquiry process is started.
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 file is closed.
In cases where the complaint 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).