Health and Care Professions Council determination — substantive hearing
Occupational therapist struck off after wounding conviction
An HCPTS panel struck Annabelle Mitchell off after finding that her conviction for stabbing a vulnerable former patient was fundamentally incompatible with registration.
MedicWatch editorial · Published 13 June 2023 · Updated 23 September 2026
Erasure (struck off the register)
Data last checked: 23 September 2026Report a correction
What does “struck off the register” mean?
The regulator directed removal from the register in this decision. The decision explains when the direction takes effect and any appeal provisions. Check the official register for the practitioner's current registration status.
Concerning Annabelle Mitchell, occupational therapist (Health and Care Professions Council OT57675).
Decision date: 13 June 2023 · Hearing started 12 June 2023 and ended 13 June 2023
In plain English
The HCPTS panel struck occupational therapist Annabelle Mitchell off the Register after her conviction for stabbing a vulnerable former patient. It found that the violent offence, abuse of trust, false account, lack of insight and absence of remediation meant that no lesser sanction would adequately protect the public.
Charges
Annabelle Mitchell was convicted at Reading Crown Court in January 2022 of wounding or inflicting grievous bodily harm after stabbing a vulnerable former patient in the back with a kitchen knife. She received a 14-month prison sentence suspended for 24 months, unpaid work and a compensation order.
Findings
The panel found that Annabelle Mitchell's conviction, lack of insight or remediation, false account and blurred professional boundaries meant that she remained impaired on public-protection and public-interest grounds. It concluded that the violent offence and abuse of trust were fundamentally incompatible with registration and directed that she be struck off.
Mitigating and aggravating factors
Mitigating factors
Prior to this matter the Registrant had no previous criminal convictions and no disciplinary history with the HCPC; she had been of previous good character and exemplary conduct; she had had a long career working in a very worthwhile and laudable public service in the caring profession for those vulnerable and in need; character references spoke of her good character, abilities and care; and Person A's prolonged stalking and the distress it caused were mitigating factors.
Aggravating factors
The relationship of trust between the Registrant and a service user, and her breach of that position; the false account given by the Registrant in March 2020; the Registrant's complete absence of insight; the blurring of professional boundaries through her close relationship with a vulnerable former patient; and the complete lack of remediation.
Source
All facts on this page are drawn from the publicly published Health and Care Professions Council determination linked below. MedicWatch does not editorialise the regulator’s findings.
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