Ben Heaviside
To email Ben click here or call on 020 7936 6300
Out of hours 07793 318647
The regulation of the medical and social care professions forms a significant part of our work at Mountford Chambers. Pressure on the health and social care sector has grown in recent years, resulting in many professionals having to work under challenging circumstances and has given rise to a significant increase in professional regulation proceedings.
In the healthcare sector, our barristers have significant experience of appearing in cases before the General Medical Council, the General Dental Council, the Heath and Care Professions Council, the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the General Pharmaceutical Council and the General Optical Council in cases involving:
In the social care sphere, our barristers have acted in many cases involving social workers facing proceedings before the Health and Care Professions Council (now Social Work England), Social Care Wales and the Scottish Social Services Council.
Healthcare professionals are often first subject to local or internal investigations conducted by NHS Trusts, private healthcare providers, or clinical governance bodies before any referral to a statutory regulator. Our barristers regularly advise and represent individuals during these early stages, providing strategic input on written responses, attendance at investigatory meetings, and navigating disciplinary policies and MHPS procedures. Early, well-informed intervention at this stage can be critical in preventing escalation and preserving a professional’s position.
Where matters do progress, our barristers advise and represent health and social care professionals facing a wide range of allegations in fitness to practise hearings, including:
Our expertise extends beyond fitness to practise hearings themselves, with our barristers regularly instructed in a broad spectrum of regulatory proceedings, including:
Our barristers include members of the regulatory specialist advocate list maintained on behalf of the Attorney General, authorised to prosecute matters on behalf of the CQC.
We represent registered providers and managers in proceedings brought by the CQC, including appeals against notices of proposal or decision, warning notices, imposition of conditions, and cancellation of registration. Our barristers are experienced in advising those impacted by proposals, including responding to inspections, enforcement action, and criminal prosecutions for regulatory breaches. We also provide strategic advice to organisations on managing reputational risk and achieving regulatory compliance.
Many healthcare cases intersect with criminal or safeguarding investigations. Our barristers are well-versed in handling proceedings that run in parallel with:
Our vast experience and reputation for excellence in criminal work, places us in a unique and influential position to deploy those skills in the cross-examination of complainants in sexual misconduct cases, expert witnesses in clinical cases and the forensic analysis of allegations of financial misconduct in the increasing number of cases where there is an obvious cross-over between regulatory and criminal law.
At Mountford Chambers, our barristers have represented clients in some of the most serious and sensitive cases involving patient deaths and service users alleged to have occurred because of clinical failings by a regulated professional. Our experience of such issues in criminal trials, including dealing with expert medical evidence, issues of causation, the impact of treatment, lack of treatment and post mortem reports places our barristers in a unique position to provide clients with robust and experienced representation when it matters most.
Our barristers not only act for individuals, but also at times, for the professions themselves. Barristers are often instructed to advise upon and present cases on behalf of regulatory bodies including the Health and Care Professions Council, the General Dental Council, the General Optical Council, the General Pharmaceutical Council and the Scottish Social Services Council.
Mountford Chambers is home to a team of highly responsive, experienced and knowledgeable clerks.
Ben Heaviside
To email Ben click here or call on 020 7936 6300
Out of hours 07793 318647
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