Health and Care Professions Council determination — review hearing
HCPTS strikes Michelle A Hughes off over boundary violations
The occupational therapist showed little insight or remediation after deliberate misconduct involving a vulnerable helpline caller.
MedicWatch editorial · Published 7 February 2024 · Updated 23 September 2026
Erasure (struck off the register)
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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 Michelle A Hughes, occupational therapist (Health and Care Professions Council OT31564).
Decision date: 7 February 2024 · Hearing started 7 February 2024
In plain English
The HCPTS panel struck occupational therapist Michelle A Hughes off after finding that she still lacked meaningful insight into deliberate boundary violations involving a vulnerable helpline caller. She had not seriously remediated her misconduct and could not reassure the panel that it would not recur, leaving a serious risk to the public.
Charges
Ms Hughes failed to assess and plan safely for a vulnerable mental-health helpline caller, copied his details for personal use, pursued sexual and spiritual communications by personal phone and visited his home after he asked her not to.
Findings
The review found no meaningful improvement in insight and no serious remediation. Ms Hughes said her deliberate conduct towards the vulnerable service user was a means of ending her NHS employment and could not reassure the panel that it would not recur. The panel found a serious repetition risk and ordered striking off.
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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