RadcliffesLeBrasseur has a unique position in regulatory matters for the health sector, acting as we do for all three of the medical defence organisations as well as, separately, for various health sector bodies responsible themselves for the regulatory process.
Regulatory Authorities
RadcliffesLeBrasseur has a significant involvement in public law acting for many NHS and national public bodies. This includes acting for NHS bodies that are responsible for regulatory matters (for example Primary Care Trusts in connection with their responsibility for Primary Care practitioners) as well as other national bodies including the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI). We have also acted for the regulators of the professions allied to medicines and have significant expertise in both the constitutional issues (including drafting rules and regulations as appropriate) and the prosecution of issues before regulatory authorities.
Practitioners Subject to Regulation
We are the only firm to act for all three of the medical defence organisations and our work in this field provides unrivalled expertise in advising doctors and dentists on regulatory matters before the GMC and DPB. Our solicitors regularly appear before all of the health sector regulatory bodies providing specialist advocacy services and advice. We have been involved in leading cases such as:
(a) Hospital Disciplinary
House of Lords case of Skidmore (Ralph Shipway) which defined the meaning of professional misconduct in the context of NHS disciplinary cases.
(b) General Medical Council
There has been a sharp increase in the number of successful appeals to the Assessment Referral Committee of the GMC following decisions of the Professional Performance Committee. Furthermore, members of the team have been involved in representing the interests of a very large number of doctors and dentists who have been referred to the GMC or GDC or appeared before one of their panels.