Expert Witness Training
for Medical Professionals (England)
CPD accreditation:
6 hours per day
Cost: £1400 (inc VAT).
Payment can be made in
three installments
Oxford Spires Hotel, Oxford
Select your chosen date below to book
Gain in-demand skills to take on well-paid expert witness work
- Designed specifically for clinicians
- Led by leading UK clinical negligence specialists
- Covers everything you need to get started as a medical expert witness
- Contributes to the University of Strathclyde/Inspire MediLaw expert witness certification
Develop the skills and knowledge you’ll need to work as a medical expert witness with our comprehensive two-day course.
Hundreds of medical professionals have completed our training – and many are now earning six-figure incomes from their expert witness work.
Recommended by leading law firms
“Highly impressive training sessions and trainers – I would thoroughly recommend Inspire MediLaw expert witness training courses.”
Emma Doughty
Head of Clinical Negligence, Slater + Gordon LLP
“The training offered by Inspire MediLaw offers medico-legal experts the opportunity to hear from the very best practitioners in the field.
For solicitors in practice, knowing that an expert has attended these training courses provides a degree of confidence about the calibre of an unknown expert and demonstrates that their medico-legal knowledge and skills are likely to be up to date.”
Anne Kavanagh
Partner, Irwin Mitchell LLP
“Inspire MediLaw is dedicated to offering both high-quality training opportunities and sharing the latest knowledge and medico-legal updates to its members.”
Joe McManus
Partner, Kennedys
How can I get started as an expert witness?
Medical expert witnesses play a crucial role in the administration of justice in clinical negligence litigation, providing an informed and objective view to the courts to help them come to a decision on a case.
Expert witness work is stimulating, challenging and well-paid. You can take on this work alongside your clinical role in the NHS and private sector. Learn more about what’s involved in expert witness work.
You need to have a few years of clinical experience to take on expert witness work. Healthcare professionals who act as expert witnesses should also have completed dedicated expert witness training, as recommended by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges And that’s where our training comes in.
Learning outcomes
Our dedicated course for medical professionals has a highly practical focus – with interactive tasks and role play to help you get up to speed on all the fundamentals.
We cover:
- What’s expected of you as an expert witness
- The legal rules you’ll need to know and understand
- How to write clear and succinct reports – with a practical exercise
- How to manage the conference with counsel and meeting of experts (and deal with difficult opponents)
- Giving evidence in court and dealing with cross-examination.
Led by medical and legal specialists
Our training is led by top clinical negligence specialists, including Dr Simon Fox KC, a dual-qualified doctor and barrister. You’ll also hear from clinical negligence lawyers, a former high court judge and experienced medical expert witnesses. So, you’ll get the perspectives of medical and legal professionals who are actively working in the field.
Who should attend the course?
- Medical professionals looking to get started in expert witness work.
- Experienced medical expert witnesses keen to expand their skills and knowledge.
Consultant gynaecologist and expert witness Adrian Lower completed our course in 2022. The training has helped him build confidence in taking on cases. He said, “I wish I’d done the course 20 years ago.”
Throughout the training, you’ll have the chance to network with other medical professionals working in the sector, make valuable legal contacts and meet potential clients.
What our delegates say
“Before my training with Inspire MediLaw, I didn’t know how or where to start. The training was high quality, with experts in their fields and it gave me the confidence to start in medico-legal work.
After the training, the Inspire team provided support with getting started – they helped develop my CV and medico-legal paperwork and gave me a strong profile on their website. The team has helped connect me with solicitors and I have started receiving instructions.”
Dr Rob Moisey
Consultant Physician and Endocrinologist
Our guarantee to you
1 For a refund, you will need to demonstrate that you’ve followed the advice we’ve given during the training.
Keen to take your learning further?
You may also want to complete our expert witness certification programme, run in collaboration with the University of Strathclyde, and join our membership scheme – giving you access to a wide range of benefits, including one-to-one support.
Get in touch today if you have any questions.
Programme
Day 1
Dr Tom Boyd, GP Expert Witness
09.00
Being an Expert; attributes, issues and practicalities
09.45
Legal framework of expert work and the bare essentials of medical negligence law
10.30
Refreshments
10.45
The essentials of being GDPR compliant
Isabel Bathurst, Training and Development Manager, Inspire Medilaw
11.15
The process of a claim and expert’ involvement
13.00
Lunch
14.00
The essentials of writing a court complaint report
14.30
Report writing exercise
15.30
Refreshments
15.45
Getting work and the business issues
16.00
Tips and pitfalls of a personal injury practice
Mr Paul Cooke, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
17.00
Close
Programme
Day 2
Paul Sankey, Clinical Negligence Solicitor
08.30
Session 1: Addressing the legal issues
Breach of duty, causation, consent, condition and prognosis
10.00
Refreshments
10.15
Session 2: Experts’ duties and the CPR
CV
Independence
Considering all the facts
Advocacy
Limits of expertise
Evidence
Range of opinion
Change of opinion
Use of medical records
Questions to experts
Right to ask for directions
11.15
Refreshments
11.30
Session 3: The claims process
Pre Action
After Issue
Conferences
11.50
Discussion of Experts
12.15
The Relationship with your lawyer
Minimising delay
Responsiveness
Handling the client
Costs
12.30
Lunch
PM: Dr Simon Fox KC, Clinical Negligence Barrister
13.30
The importance of a good report and joint statement
Pre-trial conferences
Dealing with new evidence
Practice direction para 65: being asked to change your report
14.30
Points to consider in giving your evidence
Preparing for giving evidence
Court protocol
Points to consider in the witness box
15.15
Refreshments
15.30
A view from the bench
His Honour Judge Charles Harris KC
16.10
Q&A with HHJ Harris and Dr Simon Fox KC
16.20
Role play: Examination in Chief, cross examination and re-examination
Speakers
Dr Simon Fox KC
Mr Paul Sankey
His Honour Judge Harris KC
Isabel Bathurst
Dr Tom Boyd
Feedback from previous delegates
