NMC virtual hearing: what to expect and how to prepare at home

The email confirming your hearing says it will be virtual. For some people that is a relief: no travel, no unfamiliar building, no waiting room. For others it is daunting: the most important conversation of their working life happening through a laptop at the kitchen table. Both reactions are normal. This article covers what the NMC says about virtual hearings and, mainly, the practical preparation that helps. It is general information, not legal advice.

For the structure of the hearing itself, the panel and the stages, read what actually happens at an NMC hearing. This article focuses on doing it from home.

Does the NMC hold hearings online?

Yes. The NMC's 2024 to 2025 annual fitness to practise report describes a balanced approach to in-person, virtual and hybrid hearings. It also mentions investment in its hearing centres, starting in London and Edinburgh, so that more hearings can take place in person. For interim order review hearings specifically, the NMC's guidance says it will normally list them as virtual hearings.

Can I ask for an in-person hearing instead?

For interim order reviews, the NMC says it will always consider a request to hold the hearing at a hearings centre, and expects the request to be supported by clear reasons. It says it is guided by fairness, will do what it can to help people engage effectively, and checks before a virtual hearing that participants have the right technology and can use it. If you do not have a reliable device, a private space or a stable connection, tell the NMC and your representative early. That is exactly the kind of information it needs.

How do I prepare my tech for an NMC virtual hearing?

• Do a test call well before the day, on the same device, in the same room, at the same time of day.
• Use a laptop or computer if you can, rather than a phone. Plug it in so the battery does not run down.
• Use headphones with a microphone. They cut echo and help you hear quiet speakers.
• Close other programs and pause updates. Ask others at home not to stream video while you are connected.
• Keep a phone charged nearby with your representative's and the NMC hearings team's numbers, in case the connection drops.
• Put your camera at eye level, with light in front of you rather than behind.

How should I set up the room?

Choose somewhere quiet and private where you will not be interrupted. Hearings are normally held in public, but they can be held partly or wholly in private where appropriate, so think about who might overhear you at home. Put a sign on the door, arrange childcare and pet care, and silence notifications. Dress as you would for an in-person hearing. It helps your mindset as much as how you appear.

What should I have to hand?

• Your hearing bundle, printed or on a second screen, with page numbers you can find quickly.
• Your reflective piece, testimonials and training evidence, in the order you are likely to refer to them.
• A notepad and pen to jot down questions and points you want to come back to.
• Water, tissues, and something small to eat for breaks.
• Any notes your representative has prepared for you.

Our hearing preparation checklist helps you gather everything in one place.

Can I take breaks during a virtual hearing?

If you need a break, tell your representative or ask the panel. Asking for a short break to compose yourself is not a sign of weakness. If something at home means you need to step away, say so rather than switching your camera off without explanation. If you have a health condition, a disability or anything that affects how you give evidence, tell the NMC and your representative before the hearing. From 1 October 2026, the NMC's rules on special measures for giving evidence apply to witnesses generally, and the rules say a witness includes a registrant who gives evidence.

Can someone be with me?

Check this with your representative and the NMC hearings team in advance, because who can be in the room, and when, needs to be agreed. Even if no one can sit with you while you give evidence, you can have someone nearby: in the next room, on the end of a phone during breaks, and with you when it finishes. Arrange that now rather than on the morning.

How do I look after myself on the day?

Online hearings can be draining in a particular way. You are concentrating hard on a screen, and when the call ends you are suddenly alone in your own home with everything you have just heard. Plan for that moment.

• Eat breakfast, even if it is small, and keep water nearby.
• Use breaks to stand up, move, and look away from the screen.
• Have a grounding technique ready for when your heart races: slow breathing, feeling your feet on the floor.
• Do not read social media or search for case outcomes during breaks.
• Plan something gentle for afterwards, and ask someone to check in on you that evening.

If you feel overwhelmed at any point, the NMC's Careline is free, confidential and independent of the NMC, available 24 hours a day on 0800 587 7396. Samaritans are available any time on 116 123.

Our NMC Fitness to Practise Hearing course walks you through preparation step by step, and the triggers and grounding toolkit has techniques for difficult moments.

When to get legal advice

Before the hearing, not on the day. Your union (RCN, RCM, Unison or Unite), indemnity provider or a regulatory solicitor can advise on whether to request an in-person hearing, adjustments and how to present your evidence. If you are not represented, read getting help without a union. For emotional support, call NMC Careline on 0800 587 7396. Fit 2 Practise does not give legal advice; our mentorship can help you prepare.