8th Serjeants’ Inn / Oxford Neurosurgery Medical Law Conference

Date: 25th September 2017

The 8th Serjeants’ Inn / Oxford Neurosurgery Medical Law Conference will be held on Monday 25th September 2017 from 10am to 4.30pm at Wadham College, Oxford.

Every year Serjeants’ Inn joins forces with Oxford neurosurgeon Richard Stacey to organise this event for both claimant and defendant clinical negligence enthusiasts. We aim for an interesting mix of medical and legal talks and we will once again be offering a ‘speed dating’ session after lunch with a more informal opportunity to ask questions of our medical speakers.

Programme

Genetic Testing, Professor Jenny Taylor
Jenny directs the Oxford Biomedical Research Centre Genetics Theme, which aims to bridge the gap between genetics research communities and doctors and healthcare professionals in the NHS. This is an important new area for all clinical negligence practitioners. The Court of Appeal recently gave permission in ABC v. St George’s to the Claimant to continue a claim on behalf of a relative who had not been informed by doctors of the results of genetic testing. Elsewhere genetic testing is now being used in high value cases as a causation defence, suggesting that an underlying condition would have led to disability in any event.
Diagnosing and Treating Meningitis in Children, Dr Nelly Ninis
Nelly is a Consultant Paediatrician at St Mary’s and is well-known as a meningitis expert. So often in cases of delayed diagnosis there is a tension between breach of duty and causation with time of the essence in saving lives and avoiding profound disability. Nelly will steer us through.
Midwifery after Montgomery, Charlene Francois
Charlene is a midwife and was Director of Midwifery and Gynaecology at St George’s Hospital. Two years on from the ground breaking consent decision in Montgomery practitioners are still assessing where the line is to be drawn between maternal autonomy and clinical judgement. Charlene will offer an invaluable insight.
Is there a role for super-specialist radiology in bowel and pelvic floor negligence? Dr David Burling
David is a Consultant Gastrointestinal Radiologist at St Mark’s Hospital, the UK’s specialist bowel surgery hospital. In difficult bowel and pelvic floor cases a super-specialist can play an important role in identifying and timing injury.
Recent developments in private medicine, Mr Richard Stacey
Richard is an experienced Consultant Neurosurgeon. He will address recent changes in indemnity (e.g. some defence organisations will no longer cover spinal surgery), governance and data collection (PHIN) in private hospitals. These are important issues, particularly in the light of the recent Paterson breast surgery case.
Accommodation Claims and the Discount Rate, John de Bono QC
How do you claim damages for accommodation in a post Roberts v. Johnstone world? I will review the decision in JR v. Sheffield where no damages were awarded for accommodation together with any other developments in this field and make suggestions for how to prove an accommodation claim in a time of negative discount rates.
Legal Update, Frances McClenaghan
Called in 2009 Frances is a clinical negligence specialist. She has worked as a research assistant in the Public Law Team at the Law Commission and as a judicial assistant to Lord Kerr in the Supreme Court. She is well placed to summarise the most important decisions so far of 2017.