Instructions
I accept instructions in civil and criminal proceedings requiring independent expert opinion in Emergency Medicine, urgent and unscheduled care, acute clinical assessment, emergency department decision-making, and the standard of care provided in emergency settings.
Instructions are accepted from solicitors representing Claimants, Defendants, the Prosecution and the Defence, as well as on a single joint expert basis where appropriate.
All expert witness work is undertaken independently, objectively, and in accordance with my overriding duty to the Court. My role is to provide clear, balanced, reasoned and evidence-based opinion within my area of professional expertise, irrespective of the party instructing me.
Areas of Expertise
My core medicolegal expertise encompasses matters arising in civil and criminal proceedings, including:
Emergency Department assessment, diagnosis and management
Missed, delayed or incorrect diagnosis in the acute setting
Trauma and musculoskeletal injuries
Fractures, dislocations, soft-tissue injuries and delayed radiological recognition
Sepsis, acute infection and clinical deterioration
Chest pain, abdominal pain, headache, collapse and other high-risk emergency presentations
Triage, clinical prioritisation, escalation, discharge decision-making and safety-netting
Clinical documentation, handover and communication
Emergency Department systems, patient flow, staffing and standards of clinical practice
Urgent and unscheduled care pathways
Assessment and management of injuries arising from alleged assaults, violence and other traumatic incidents
Clinical interpretation of contemporaneous medical records and findings relevant to criminal investigations
Evaluation of clinical management, including alleged breaches of duty and causation in civil proceedings
Assessment of whether emergency medical care met accepted professional standards in the circumstances prevailing at the time
All opinions are confined to matters within my professional knowledge, clinical experience and expertise. Where an issue falls outside these boundaries, this will be identified at the outset or clearly stated within my report, as appropriate.
Types of Report and Opinion
I provide independent expert witness services in civil and criminal proceedings, including:
Initial case screening and assessment of merit
Preliminary advisory opinions
Breach of duty reports in civil proceedings
Causation reports where within my expertise
Condition and prognosis reports where appropriate
Review and interpretation of medical records
Review of radiology reports and contemporaneous clinical documentation
Assessment of injuries and clinical findings relevant to criminal proceedings
Expert reports for the Prosecution and Defence
Supplementary expert reports
Responses to CPR Part 35 questions in civil proceedings
Responses to expert evidence queries under the Criminal Procedure Rules
Conferences with solicitors and Counsel
Expert discussions and joint expert meetings
Preparation of joint statements
Attendance at Court to provide oral expert evidence
Before accepting instructions, I will establish that the matters requiring expert opinion fall within my professional expertise, confirm that no conflict of interest exists, and ensure that I can discharge my overriding duty to the Court independently and impartially.
How to Instruct
Please provide a formal letter of instruction together with the relevant supporting documentation.
Where available and applicable, this should include:
Letter of Claim, pleadings, prosecution case summary, or defence case statement
Relevant hospital, ambulance, GP and community medical records
Emergency Department notes, triage records, observation charts, drug charts and discharge documentation
Radiology reports and imaging, where relevant
Internal investigation documents, incident reports or complaint correspondence, where applicable
Witness statements and other relevant evidential material
Chronology of events
Previous expert reports
Specific questions or issues requiring expert opinion
Relevant court directions, procedural deadlines and anticipated hearing dates
Documentation should preferably be supplied electronically, paginated, indexed and in searchable PDF format.
Instructions and supporting records should be transmitted via secure email or an appropriate secure document transfer service.
Timescales
Report timescales will depend on the complexity of the case, the volume of records, the nature of the questions asked, and any court-imposed deadline.
A realistic timescale will be agreed once the complete instruction bundle has been received and reviewed.
Urgent instructions may be considered subject to availability. Where expedited work is required, an enhanced hourly rate may apply by prior agreement.
Professional Fees and Terms
Standard Hourly Rate
Fees are charged at £250 per hour for expert witness services in civil and criminal proceedings, including:
Initial case review and screening opinions
Preliminary advisory opinions
Expert reports prepared in accordance with Civil Procedure Rules Part 35 (civil proceedings)
Expert reports prepared in accordance with Criminal Procedure Rules Part 19 (criminal proceedings)
Breach of duty reports in civil proceedings
Causation reports, where within my expertise
Condition and prognosis reports, where appropriate
Assessment of injuries and clinical findings relevant to criminal proceedings
Review of medical records and additional evidential material
Supplementary expert reports
Responses to CPR Part 35 questions in civil proceedings
Responses to expert evidence queries in criminal proceedings
Conferences with solicitors and Counsel
Expert discussions and joint expert meetings
Preparation of joint statements
All fees quoted are exclusive of VAT, which will be added at the prevailing rate where applicable.
Court Attendance
Half-day court attendance (up to 4 hours): £1,000
Full-day court attendance (up to 8 hours): £1,800
These rates apply to court attendance in both civil and criminal proceedings.
Court attendance fees are based on the professional time reserved, irrespective of the actual duration of attendance or oral evidence given. This reflects the advance commitment of professional time and the need to rearrange clinical responsibilities.
Where a half-day booking exceeds four hours, the full-day attendance rate will apply.
Attendance exceeding eight hours will be charged at the standard hourly rate, calculated proportionately.
Court attendance fees exclude travel time, travel expenses and accommodation costs. Travel time will be charged at the standard hourly rate, with reasonable travel and accommodation expenses charged separately where applicable.
Preparation time, including review of relevant documentation and conferences with Counsel, will be charged separately at the applicable hourly rate.
Cancellation or postponement of reserved court attendance will be subject to the agreed cancellation terms.
Urgent Instructions
Urgent instructions may be accepted subject to availability.
Where work is required on an expedited basis, including evenings, weekends or unusually short deadlines, an enhanced rate of £300–£350 per hour may apply by prior agreement.
Fee Estimates
A fee estimate can be provided once the scope of the instruction, approximate volume of records, complexity of the issues and required deadline are known.
Any estimate is based on the information available at the time. Where the volume of documentation, complexity of the case or scope of work materially changes, a revised estimate may be provided.
Work will not be expanded beyond the agreed scope without prior discussion wherever practicable.
Payment Terms
Fees are payable by the instructing solicitor or other instructing organisation unless otherwise agreed in writing.
Fees are not contingent upon the outcome of proceedings or the conclusions reached in any expert report.
Payment on account may be requested before commencing work, particularly for:
Urgent instructions
Large or complex record bundles
Instructions from firms or organisations with whom there is no existing working relationship
Court attendance
Conferences or meetings requiring reserved diary time
Invoices are payable within the agreed payment period specified at the time of instruction.
Where instructions are received on a single joint expert basis, responsibility for fees and expenses will be determined in accordance with the applicable procedural rules and any relevant Court directions.
Where instructions are subject to Legal Aid Agency funding or other applicable funding arrangements, fees and payment terms will be agreed in advance, subject to any relevant authorisation, funding requirements or applicable fee limits.
Cancellation Terms
Court attendance, conferences and joint expert meetings should be booked as early as possible.
Cancellation charges may apply where reserved professional time is cancelled or postponed at short notice, in accordance with the terms agreed at the time of booking.
Charges will reflect the amount of professional time reserved, the notice provided and the extent to which that time can reasonably be reallocated to other work.
The applicable cancellation terms, including any charges for cancelled court attendance, will be confirmed in writing at the time of booking.
Any non-refundable travel or accommodation expenses already incurred will also be recoverable.
Independence and Duty to the Court
As an expert witness, my overriding duty is to the Court, irrespective of whether instructions arise from civil or criminal proceedings.
This duty takes precedence over any obligation to the party instructing me or responsible for payment of my fees.
Expert reports and opinions are prepared in accordance with the applicable procedural requirements, including:
Civil proceedings: Civil Procedure Rules Part 35 and Practice Direction 35.
Criminal proceedings: Criminal Procedure Rules Part 19 and the applicable Criminal Practice Directions.
All opinions are provided independently, objectively and impartially, based on the available evidence and within the boundaries of my professional expertise.
My conclusions will not be influenced by the identity of the instructing party, the nature of the proceedings or any financial consideration.
Where the evidence does not support the instructing party's case, this will be stated clearly.