Free tool
Hearing timeline planner
Enter the date that matters and get a dated plan for your reflection, courses, testimonials and evidence. Add it to your calendar in one click.
Hearing timeline planner
Not legal advice, and no outcome prediction. This free tool helps you organise your own thinking and evidence. It does not assess your case or predict what a regulator or panel will decide. Your answers stay in this browser only. Take advice from your defence organisation, union or a solicitor before you submit anything.
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Your hearing preparation timeline, worked back from one date
When a hearing, review or deadline is set, the hardest part is often knowing what to do first. This free planner turns one key date into a hearing preparation timeline. Choose what the date is (a hearing, a review hearing, a case examiner decision, a deadline to respond to your regulator, or another key date), enter it, and select Build my plan.
The planner works backwards from that date and gives you ten dated steps, from getting advice to a final review with your representative. You can change any date, rename a step, add your own steps and tick each one off. Then download the plan as a calendar file (.ics) for Outlook, Google or Apple Calendar, or print it and save it as a PDF.
The plan stays in your browser on this device. We do not see your dates or your case.
The default plan, step by step
The suggested timings assume about twelve weeks. Real cases vary, and your representative may want things sooner.
| When | Step |
|---|---|
| Today | Contact your defence organisation, union or a solicitor |
| 12 weeks before | Finish the readiness check and list your gaps |
| 11 weeks before | Choose and start courses that address the concern |
| 9 weeks before | Send testimonial requests |
| 7 weeks before | Complete courses and file the certificates |
| 6 weeks before | First draft of your reflective statement |
| 4 weeks before | Collect signed and dated testimonials |
| 3 weeks before | Assemble your evidence portfolio |
| 2 weeks before | Send your evidence to your representative |
| 1 week before | Final review with your representative |
If your key date is closer than twelve weeks, any step that would already have passed is moved to today and marked, so you can see what needs doing straight away. Rebuild the plan whenever the date changes.
- Index and chronologyWhat happened and what you have done since, in date order.
- Reflective statementsYour own account of what you learned and changed.
- CertificatesCourses completed, with dates and what each covered.
- TestimonialsSigned, dated, from people who know the concerns.
- CPD logRelevant learning with notes on how you applied it.
- Action planWhat you will keep doing so it does not happen again.
Why the order matters
The steps follow what decision makers say they look at. The NMC asks whether a concern can be addressed, whether it has been addressed, and whether repetition is highly unlikely. The HCPTS practice note on impairment looks at insight, remediation and reflection, and MPTS tribunals for doctors work to the Guidance for MPTS tribunals in force since 24 November 2025. Evidence of all three takes time to build, which is why the plan starts early:
- Targeted learning comes before reflection. Your statement is stronger when it can say what you learned and how you have applied it, not what you intend to learn.
- Testimonials need lead time. Referees need weeks, not days, to write something careful and sign it.
- The portfolio comes last, with room to spare. Your representative needs time to read it and to meet any deadline set by your regulator or tribunal.
Late remediation can still help, but evidence gathered in the weeks just before a hearing may carry less weight than steady work started earlier. Start where you are and keep going.
- InsightUnderstanding what went wrong, why, and its effect on others and on trust.
- RemediationPractical steps that address the concern, such as targeted learning and supervised practice.
- ReflectionShowing what you learned and how your practice has changed.
Tools and courses for each step
- List your gaps: the remediation readiness check asks short questions in six areas: insight, remediation, reflection, testimonials, CPD and risk of repetition.
- Ask for testimonials: the testimonial request generator drafts a clear letter for each referee.
- Write your reflection: the reflective statement builder gives regulator-specific prompts and flags identifying details.
- Choose courses: our bundles group the courses for each type of concern.
Two courses suit this stage in particular. The Fitness to Practise course (about four hours, with a 40-question assessment) explains how regulators decide current impairment and includes twenty worked case examples. How to Deal with a Complaint or Investigation covers responding professionally, showing insight and looking after your wellbeing while a case is open.
To link every step together, use the remediation pathway. Its timeline step uses this planner and feeds your dates into an evidence portfolio.
Before you rely on any date
These dates are planning suggestions only. Always follow the deadlines set by your regulator, the tribunal or your representative, and confirm every date with them. This tool is not legal advice and does not predict any outcome. If the process is affecting your health, NHS Practitioner Health and your GP can help. More planning aids are on our free tools page.
More free tools
Remediation readiness check
A self-assessment of your insight, remediation, reflection, testimonials, CPD and risk of repetition, with the gaps to work on.
Reflective statement builder
Regulator-specific prompts that help you structure a reflective statement in your own words.
Testimonial request letter
A clear, honest letter asking a colleague or manager for a testimonial that covers what panels look for.
CPD and revalidation tracker
Log CPD against your regulator's cycle and see what is still to do before renewal or revalidation.
Which course do I need?
Four quick questions that point you to the courses that match your regulator and situation.
Courses mentioned on this page
- All UK regulators
Fitness to Practise for Healthcare Professionals
This is the core course of the programme. It sets out how fitness to practise works across the United Kingdom and provides the foundation for the later courses on insight,…
- GMCNMCHCPC+5 more regulators
How to Deal with a Complaint or Investigation
Receiving a complaint or a letter from a regulator is one of the most stressful experiences in a healthcare career. Many professionals feel shocked, anxious or defensive, and some make…
Frequently asked questions
Which key dates can I plan from?
A hearing, a review hearing, a case examiner decision, a deadline to respond to your regulator, or any other key date you choose.
My hearing is in four weeks. Is the planner still useful?
Yes. Steps that would have fallen in the past are moved to today and marked, so you can see what to prioritise. Talk to your representative about what matters most.
Can I add the plan to my calendar?
Yes. Download the .ics file and open it in Outlook, Google Calendar or Apple Calendar. Each step becomes a calendar entry.
Is my information shared with anyone?
No. The plan is saved only in your browser on this device. Use the delete button to remove it.
Does following the plan improve my chances at a hearing?
No tool can promise that. Panels decide each case on its evidence. The planner helps you organise your preparation in good time.
Does it work for every UK regulator?
Yes. The steps are general and suit GMC, NMC, HCPC, GDC, GPhC, GOC, GOsC, GCC and Social Work England cases. Names of stages vary, so check your regulator's process.
Not sure where to start?
Tell us your regulator and the concern. The pathway shows the courses that fit, helps you write your reflection and puts your evidence in order. It is free and nothing leaves your browser.