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Summary Of Practice

Sally was called to the Bar in 1988. She has a civil law practice with a specialism in medical law and medical issues. Clinical negligence comprises the bulk of her practice, her work now focusing on the more gravely injured patient or more complex medical situation. In addition, she has particular interest in psychiatric issues, deals with allegations of psychiatric or psychotherapeutic negligence and psychiatry within the prison estate. She undertakes educational negligence, prison litigation including assault and personal injury cases.

Sample recent and current cases:

Clinical negligence and medical law:

- obstetric negligence leading to cerebral palsy;
- failure adequately to treat dislocated hip in child during 1960s;
- maternal fatality following caesarean section;
- fatality following wait for cholecystectomy;
- nervous shock claim arising from neonatal death;
- group action by psychiatric patients sexually abused by consultant;
- wrongful birth of disabled twins;
- best interests of severely learning disabled adult;
- provision of suitable accommodation for learning disabled adult.

Inquests:

- double fatality on railway of 2 psychiatric patients;
- post-operative death following renal surgery;
- death during restraint by psychiatric nurses;
- death in custody in breach of Article 2 following inadequate resuscitation by prison medical staff;
- death in custody following overdose of prescribed in-hand medication.

Social care litigation:

- abuse of child by foster carer;
- withdrawal of child from mother following false allegation by other family members;
- assault of learning disabled adult by care home worker.

Personal injury:

- claim against abuser for sexual abuse;
- RTA leading to acceleration of spinal injury; intra operative complication leading to paraplegia;
- CICA claim for shaken baby;
- RTA involving baby, 20 years ago, sustaining severe head and orthopaedic injuries.

Prison litigation:

- group action arising from harsh disciplinary regime at Young Offenders Institution;
- claim against Home Office arising from rape of inmate by prison officer;
- claim against Home Office arising from negligent supervision of suicidal inmate who suffered hyposix brain injury.

Educational negligence:

- claims against Local Education Authorities arising from negligent failure to diagnose and cater for learning difficulties, and in bullying cases.

Professional Memberships

Attorney General's Panel of Junior Counsel 1999
Recorder 2004
Member of the North Manchester Hospitals Research Ethics  Committee
Member of AVMA , APIL, PNBA, Inquest Lawyers Group
Member of NHS Research Ethics Committee

Selected Cases

R (Bentley) v HM Coroner West Avon;
R (Taylor) v Secretary of State Home Department.

Education

Portsmouth High School

Lincoln College, Oxford BA (Hons) Jurisprudence, 1st Class

Publications

Co author of forthcoming Butterworths Guide to the Mental Capacity Act