I am a solicitor in the clinical risk team. Previously I worked as a physiotherapist in the NHS for over 25 years both as clinician and manager. I worked at The Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street, London and King’s College Hospital, London where I developed clinical expertise in neonatal and paediatric respiratory care and, as a result, I lectured extensively and published in medical and physiotherapy textbooks and physiotherapy and nursing journals. I was awarded a Fellowship of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy in 2001 for the development of clinical respiratory physiotherapy and acted as an international expert physiotherapy witness. Acting as an expert witness prompted a change of profession to study law and work entirely in the legal field.
I qualified in 2005 and have three years experience of working on secondment part-time in an Acute Hospital Trust acting as legal advisor dealing with all aspects of NHS legal work and assisting with review of legal services in the Trust to increase efficiency. My role in the MLPI department is preparing, supporting and representing Acute Trusts; Foundation Trusts; Mental Health Partnerships and Primary Care Trusts at Inquests; assisting on judicial reviews; complex mental capacity and best interests cases; assisting Trusts in dealing with vexatious complainants and aggressive service users and other general healthcare advice.