How to Instruct

Medico-Legal Services

Independent expert opinion in paediatric neurosurgery

What I Provide

Expert Reports & Record Review

I provide independent expert opinion in paediatric neurosurgery for use in clinical negligence and personal injury proceedings. Reports are prepared in accordance with Part 35 of the Civil Procedure Rules and the relevant Practice Direction on expert evidence.

I provide medico-legal opinion alongside my clinical work at Alder Hey Children's Hospital. Because I remain in active operative paediatric neurosurgical practice, my opinion is informed by contemporary management, while the standard against which the care in question is judged remains the standard applicable at the material time.

Prior to my current post I held consultant posts at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Professional indemnity insurance is held for medico-legal expert witness work, and separate personal medical indemnity for my clinical practice. Details of either are available on request.

How I work

My opinion is given from the records (clinical notes, operative notes, imaging and correspondence), reviewed against the standard applicable at the material time. It covers breach of duty and causation, and prognosis so far as it can be addressed from the records. I do not examine claimants, so I do not prepare examination-based condition and prognosis reports; where a case needs one, I will say so at the enquiry stage and suggest the relevant specialty.

Clinical Areas

  • Hydrocephalus and shunt complications
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Paediatric spinal disorders
  • Paediatric brain tumours
  • Paediatric cerebrovascular disease

Expert Reports

Independent Expert Opinion

Preparation of independent expert reports for use in civil proceedings. Reports address the clinical issues in dispute, covering breach of duty and causation, and prognosis so far as it can be addressed from the records, as instructed. Reports are prepared in accordance with Part 35 of the Civil Procedure Rules and Practice Direction 35, and are accompanied by a statement of truth and a declaration of the expert's duty to the court.

Record Review

Case Notes & Standards of Care

Review of clinical records, operative notes, imaging reports, and correspondence to assess the standard of care provided against accepted practice at the relevant time.

Practical Information

Fees & Turnaround

Fees

Transparent & Agreed in Advance

Fees are charged on a time or item basis according to the work required. A full fee schedule is available on request and is agreed in advance of any instruction being accepted. All invoices are issued by Richards Medico Legal Ltd.

Legal Aid Agency-funded instructions are accepted, including applications for prior authority where the complexity of the case warrants it.

Turnaround

Prompt Report Preparation

Reports are typically prepared within four to six weeks of receipt of all relevant papers. I will advise at the outset if this is not achievable given my current clinical commitments.

I am able to accommodate cases with court-imposed timetables where reasonable notice is given.

Process

How to Instruct Me

Please contact me by email in the first instance. I will respond within two working days to confirm whether the matter falls within my area of expertise and to provide a fee estimate and indicative timescale.

Once instructions are agreed, please provide the letter of instruction and relevant records. I will acknowledge receipt and confirm a target date for the report.

I accept instructions from claimant and defendant solicitors and insurers. All invoices are issued by Richards Medico Legal Ltd.

Get in Touch

When Contacting Us

Useful Information to Include

  • Nature of the case — clinical negligence or personal injury
  • Claimant or defendant instruction
  • Brief summary of the clinical issues
  • Approximate volume of records
  • Any court deadlines or timetable requirements
  • Whether a fee estimate is required at this stage
Ready to Instruct?

Make an Enquiry

Initial enquiries are welcome by email. I will respond promptly to confirm availability, fees, and timescales.

Contact Us