Health and Care Professions Council determination — substantive hearing
HCPTS imposes nine months of practice conditions on Chelsea Rutledge
The HCPTS panel found misconduct and impairment while rejecting racial motivation and alleged physical abuse of a colleague. It required supervised practice, training and reflection.
MedicWatch editorial · Published 22 May 2026 · Updated 23 September 2026
Conditions on practice (practising with restrictions) — 9 months
Data last checked: 23 September 2026Report a correction
What does “practising with restrictions” mean?
Conditions of practice allow the practitioner to keep working but only subject to specific restrictions — for example, supervision, limits on certain procedures, or required reporting to the regulator.
Concerning Chelsea Rutledge, paramedic (Health and Care Professions Council PA39303).
Decision date: 22 May 2026 · Hearing started 19 May 2026 and ended 22 May 2026
In plain English
The HCPTS panel imposed nine months of practice conditions on Chelsea Rutledge for misconduct involving comments to a patient and colleague, and a separate assault. Racial motivation and allegations of pushing, kicking or hitting the colleague were not proved. The panel recognised more than nine years without evidence of repetition but found incomplete insight and remediation. Conditions require supervision, training and reflection; a separate interim order covers the appeal period.
Charges
The allegations concerned comments to a patient and colleagues, alleged physical and verbal conduct towards a colleague, alleged racially motivated comments, and a 2017 assault resulting in a conditional discharge.
Findings
The panel found misconduct in comments about mental-health services, abusive remarks and an accusation of lying directed at a colleague, and the separate assault on a member of the public. Derogatory comments about other colleagues were proved but did not amount to serious misconduct. The alleged sexualised comment about men, curry comparison, theft accusation, pushing, kicking, hitting, repeated name-calling, other alleged racial comments and racial motivation were not proved. It found impairment despite more than nine years without evidence of repetition, citing incomplete insight and remediation. It imposed nine months of conditions, including indirect supervision, communication and conflict-resolution training, and reflection. A separate interim conditions order covers the appeal period and any appeal for up to 18 months.
Mitigating and aggravating factors
Mitigating factors
· The events occurred on two occasions within a short time period; · There has been limited reflection and remorse and only in relation to the conviction.
Aggravating factors
· The lack of fully developed insight; · The lack of work undertaken to effect full remediation; · The potential for service user harm; · The vulnerability of Patient A who was in mental health crisis.
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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