Joanna Burrows

• I am a specialist healthcare employment lawyer. I have been advising NHS, social care and independent health and care clients on HR and workforce matters for over 15 years. 

  I am particularly well regarded for my expertise in dealing with medical workforce and medical discipline matters. I regularly advise NHS employers on doctors’ and dentists’ disciplinary, capability and health issues under the national Maintaining High Professional Standards framework (“MHPS”), as well as dealing with complex high court applications for injunctive relief. I also advise on contractual issues relating to the application of national NHS terms and conditions for medical staff, employment status queries involving agency and bank staff, and medical workforce issues including job planning and revalidation.

  I am frequently involved in multi-day Employment Tribunal and appellate court litigation which often involves complex discrimination and whistleblowing allegations brought by medical staff. Clients value my forensic and analytical approach to casework and I provide clear and pragmatic solution-focussed advice. Recent experience includes advising on a high profile whistleblowing detriment/unfair dismissal claim brought by a Consultant with whistle-blower status who was dismissed for gross misconduct. 

  I also have significant experience of advising on complex remedy hearing cases involving doctors, including dealing with Employment Appeal Tribunal litigation on remedy, as well as reputation management issues.   

  I regularly present bespoke training sessions to clients on all aspects of employment law including discrimination, managing poor performance, MHPS and conducting workplace investigations. I also speak at external events. I previously co-led a networking forum in the Midlands for NHS Senior HR practitioners in conjunction with the West Midlands Healthcare People Management Association, drawing on my extensive knowledge of the health sector.

  Jo Burrows is a professional, dedicated and skilled solicitor who has supported the organisation on a number of highly complex MHPS cases. Her proactive communication and expertise to effectively navigate these cases successfully has proved invaluable to the organisation. Jo is highly recommended.

  You have been fabulous, very responsive, professional, your verbal and written advice is clear and concise on what we needed to do next and we have been very appreciative of everything you undertook.

• • I advised an NHS Trust in respect of a long running and highly sensitive whistleblowing employment tribunal claim involving a consultant dismissed for gross misconduct, including dealing with subsequent remedy proceedings and significant reputation management issues.
  • I have successfully defended a claim on behalf of an NHS Trust client brought by a doctor who had entered into a legally binding secondment and settlement agreement and successfully obtained a costs award.
  • I have successfully defended appeal proceedings on behalf of an NHS Trust client brought by a consultant against an ET remedy judgment where the consultant was pursuing compensation in excess of £2million. 
  • I contributed as a member of the Employment Lawyers Association (“ELA”) working party’s response to the Government’s consultation on Zero Hours Contracts and Agency Workers.  

  Thank you for all your hard work and commitment to the case over many years in what have frequently been testing circumstances. You have worked so hard. It is clear to me that you have gone ‘above and beyond’ on this case.

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  Does the Medical Director need to act as Case Manager in a Maintaining...

  20/08/2025

  [Dr MN and NHS Foundation Trust L] [2025] EWHC 2023 (KB)

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Joanna's areas of expertise