Health and Care Professions Council determination — substantive hearing
HCPTS suspends Donna Picton for four months
The panel found developing but incomplete insight and remediation, and imposed a four-month suspension with an interim order during the appeal period.
MedicWatch editorial · Published 14 May 2026 · Updated 23 September 2026
Suspension (suspended from practice) — 4 months
Data last checked: 23 September 2026Report a correction
What does “suspended from practice” mean?
The regulator imposed a fixed-term suspension in this decision. Its start date, appeal provisions and any later review affect whether it is currently in force. Check the official register for the practitioner's current status.
Concerning Donna Picton, operating department practitioner (Health and Care Professions Council ODP36545).
Decision date: 14 May 2026 · Hearing started 5 May 2026 and ended 14 May 2026
In plain English
The HCPTS panel suspended Donna Picton for four months after finding misconduct involving workplace communication and conduct. It found that her insight and remediation had begun but were incomplete and that a risk of repetition remained. An interim suspension was also imposed during the appeal period, subject to a maximum of 18 months.
Charges
The allegations concerned unprofessional communication, workplace conduct, handling of concerns about colleagues and related misconduct over 2020 and 2021.
Findings
The panel found current impairment and imposed a four-month suspension. It found some developing insight and remediation but considered these incomplete and identified a risk of repetition. It also imposed an interim suspension during the appeal period, subject to a maximum of 18 months.
Mitigating and aggravating factors
Mitigating factors
a. has started to develop insight and demonstrate remediation; b. has been diagnosed with a condition that may impact upon her conduct and how she remediates the concerns; c. is prepared to work to remediate her practice over time and thereby address the concerns identified by the Panel; d. was experiencing personal difficulties at the material time.
Aggravating factors
a. the misconduct largely occurred in the Hospital in areas patients had access to; b. the conduct was repeated despite the existence of a disciplinary warning; and c. the Registrant prioritised her own interest over those of her patients and her colleagues (e.g. leaving the Hospital on 24 October 2020, using the meeting of 11 November 2020 to air her concerns about Colleague A).
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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