Heather Arlidge

Call 2009
Telephone 020 7831 0222 | Email [email protected]

Heather Arlidge

Call 2009
Telephone 020 7831 0222 | Email [email protected]

Heather is a specialist public inquiry and medical law practitioner, practising in personal injury, clinical negligence, and inquests & inquiries. She also practices in broader public & administrative law, particularly in matters regarding prisons and the secure estate.

Heather’s practice is currently dominated by the Eljamel Inquiry, a Scottish public Inquiry investigating the professional practice of Mr Eljamel, a consultant neurosurgeon, and the governance systems, or lack thereof, that were in place to protect patients. Heather is First Junior Counsel to the Inquiry. She continues to accept instructions across her practice areas.

Prior to joining Chambers, Heather worked for two well-known insurance law firms in London, where she was instructed in almost every conceivable type of claim that might be expected in a defendant insurance practice. Although the focus of her practice is now medical, her broad common-law experience means she continues to receive instructions in matters such as construction claims and contractual disputes.

Inquests

Heather is the head of the Inquests and Inquiries team at 42BR Barristers.

The majority of Heather’s coronial work involves inquests heard with juries; she is familiar with the particular issues arising in Article 2 inquests, being regularly instructed in inquests touching on deaths occurring within the secure estate. She also has experience in matters involving health and safety legislation, acting for families, companies, and local authorities.

Heather also regularly appears in non-jury inquests. She is instructed by families, NHS trusts, insurance companies and individual interested parties in inquests into, for example, road traffic accidents, care home deaths, and deaths in hospitals.

Recent work

Acting for the family of a patient who died whilst in a secure mental health facility as a result of medical complications (2025)
Acting for the family of a patient who died following a bladder injury when being catheterised (2025 – direct access)
Acting for a security contractor in a hospital; the deceased absconded from hospital following preliminary assessment in Accident and Emergency. The jury reached a conclusion of suicide (2024)
Acting for the family of a patient who was under mental health care in the community. The deceased took her own life. (2024)
Acting for a private GP provider who was made an interested party to the inquest into the death of a patient (2023)
Acting for the family of a patient in a care home who was left unassisted, contrary to his care plan, and fell, sustaining fatal injuries (2021)

Inquiries

Heather has extensive experience of acting as Counsel to the Inquiry, and Counsel for Core Participants in a number of high profile public inquiries.

She is currently First Junior Counsel to the Inquiry in the Eljamel Inquiry, chaired by Lord Weir.

Heather was junior counsel representing Haemophilia Scotland, the Scottish Infected Blood Forum, and approximately 200 individual core participants from 2020-2026.

Heather was senior junior to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry in Module 2A from 2023 to 2025.

In 2025-2026, Heather was junior counsel to the Inquiry in the Undercover Policing Inquiry.

Direct Access

Heather is authorised to accept instructions direct from members of the public. She encourages clients who are considering this route to contact Chambers and discuss their problem.

In suitable cases, Heather can provide client conferences, written advices and representation at court. Heather accepts public access work across Chambers’ areas of expertise.