An important and disturbing article about 'wild pregnancies' and The Free Birth Society www.theguardian.com/world/ng-int...

A highlight of November was doing a mock clinical negligence Trial for our friends at CFC Underwriting alongside 2 TempleGardens My favourite exchange: Barrister: And what is the name of your favourite opera to perform, Mrs Opera Singer? Mrs Opera Singer: Errr.....Phantom of the Opera.

Today should be my brother's 48th birthday, but he lives in Heaven now. Here we are rocking our matching haircuts many years ago. I love & miss him every single day and hope he is living his best life in Heaven ❤️

The Legal 500 2026 is out & I'm delighted that we're cited again e.g. "Expertise in healthcare professional disciplinary defence is unrivalled in the market.The team is passionate about seeking the best outcomes for their clients". However, my personal favourite comment is the one below ❤️

I've been at the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons for a hearing this week (and back again next week). Must say their new offices are beautiful and highly functional, plus they have the fanciest Council chairs.

Absolutely delighted that Mike Cain has joined us at Keystone Law. He's a brilliant employment lawyer who has helped many of my healthcare sector clients over the years and has particular knowledge of NHS Ambulance Trusts from his prior career. www.keystonelaw.com/lawyers/mike....

A new low from the HCPC today - threatening a paramedic victim of sexual assault, who's signed off work due to mental ill-health, that they will take #FitnessToPractise action against them (the victim) if they do not act as a witness in the prosecution of a fellow registrant.

Some lovely August feedback which amused me (pretty sure I haven't been described as 'sassy' since the 1990s!). The Mark referred to is the inimitable Mark Harries KC. Nice to see a positive end to this #FitnessToPractise case which ran on since 2020.

My Friday night treats. Let nobody say I don't know how to have a good time.

1/ The HCPC is conducting a consultation on its proposed new Sanctions Policy for #FitnessToPractise cases & I really encourage registrants in particular to respond. www.hcpc-uk.org/news-and-eve... #FitnessToPractise

My Keystone Law colleague Leigh Taylor (a dual-qualified doctor and solicitor) has written this blog about recently assisting a GP through NHS England performers list proceedings, on the instructions of his MDO: medicaldefensesociety.com/2025/08/19/n...

The GPhC has taken the rare step of writing to all pharmacists/technicians/owners to warn of "some emerging issues which have led to concerns being raised". Unfortunately, we've already seen all of these issues in the context of #Inquests and #FitnessToPractise proceedings in which we're instructed

17th wedding anniversary today 💕

What an extraordinary story - "Cornwall surgeon accused of fraud over amputation of his own legs" share.google/VrMlgf27xutv...

Astonished by Wes Streeting making this announcement just a few weeks after the PSA wrote to him expressing its concerns about the HCPC. The HCPC is a regulator which should be focused on meeting its current responsibilities rather than taking on [important] new ones.

Have been on a veterinary con all day so am only starting to read The Leng Review now. Am I right in thinking she's recommended that MAP titles are changed to what they already used to be years ago? www.gov.uk/government/p...

I'm privileged to spend a lot of my time working with paramedics - things I love & admire include their ability to work under [huge] pressure, knowledge & skills, bravery, resilience, passion for the job & totally non-judgemental approach to all of us at our worst. Happy #InternationalParamedicsDay

I was grateful to be instructed by Medical Defense Society to represent this GP who was wrongly accused of antisemitism for her criticisms of Israel's actions in Gaza. #FitnessToPractise medicaldefensesociety.com/2025/07/01/f...

1/ The Professional Standards Authority (PSA) published its annual review of The Health & Care Professions Council on Friday. The HCPC is still not meeting all of the Standards of Good Regulation & hasn't done so for - no joke - ten consecutive years now.

This is so sad. I remember writing about Kay Shemirani at the time of her NMC fitness to practise proceedings and strike off.

Some months you receive hardly any feedback at all & other months you really feel the love ❤️ June for us has been a crackerjack! I will copy paste below some of the client feedback received by Leigh Taylor, Anne Marie Rugeris (& me) so far this month.

1/ The Appendix to Friday's High Court Judgment in the Ayinde and Al-Haroun cases is essential reading for anyone who doubts the magnitude of the 'false information generated by ChatGPT' problem, which has started to play a remarkably frequent role in fitness to practise proceedings.

1/ I do wonder sometimes if it's worth sharing thoughts about my work on social media, but I think this email that's come in from a paramedic gives the answer! #FitnessToPractise

Welcome to @healthreglawyer.bsky.social, who is speaking on freedom of expression You can still join us online for this afternoon's programme. Sign up at eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-jenny-... #DAUKConf2025

1/ If you're ever thinking of giving another woman a random compliment, DO IT! Today I was sitting in a coffee shop feeling like death after a very bad night's sleep & seriously wondering whether the spot on my chin is so bad that I should cancel my plans for the rest of the week...

May your Easter Sunday be as peaceful as Blake Carrington enjoying the sun in his pink velvet armchair 💖

Judgment has been handed down on the BMA's Judicial Review of the GMC regarding PAs and AAs. All three grounds of challenge have been dismissed: caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewhc/admin/2...

1/ PLEASE can someone do a basic training course for the HCPC on the concept of dishonesty? About 6 months ago, they obviously told the #FitnessToPractise staff that dishonesty wasn't being alleged frequently enough, as dishonesty is now being lobbed into about 50% of all cases.

This video and story is really distressing. Interesting how the man runs away when the woman goes after him with a whip, an option of escape he didn't offer to the poor tethered donkey he was whipping. www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2...

1/ Some regulators are impervious to criticism and use public funds to defend indefensible actions. The latest example of this is the Care Quality Commission, as set out in the reported Judicial Review decision of Cygnet Health Care Limited v CQC. Essentially, the facts are:

Delighted to be named in the 2025 Pro Bono Recognition List of England & Wales. "Pro bono is not a substitute for legal aid, but it is a valuable part of our system of justice. The judiciary sees how pro bono advice and representation helps those who might not otherwise receive legal assistance"

My favourite part of the past week was again teaching on the Masters in Prehospital Medicine at QMUL Barts & The London. Always gain so much from hearing the attendees' thoughts. Thanks so much for having me back 😊

TL;DR Community pharmacy will continue to be in a desperate situation. The package is an improvement on previous years but is not enough to stabilise the sector and does not cover the full economic cost of running a pharmacy. cpe.org.uk/our-news/cpc....

Interesting blog from the GMC today regarding "a fresh approach to fitness to practise concerns" in light of the Dr Arora scandal and report #FitnessToPractise gmcuk.wordpress.com/2024/10/02/a...

I think it's a poignant reminder of the UK-Ireland relationship that the last surviving Battle of Britain pilot being celebrated today was in fact an Irishman and died on St Patrick's Day. RIP John Hemingway DFC and thank you ☘️ www.rte.ie/news/ireland...

Huge news that NHSE will be no more. Will things revert to how they were before the Health & Social Care Act 2012? www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cx...

This is an interesting development - a Bill (proposed new law) to compel dentists to have insurance and not be permitted to rely on indemnity (indemnity being e.g. DDU, MDDUS, DPL, DDS). hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2025...

I guess my own little #InternationalWomensDay celebration this year is being named in the Stand-Out Lawyers Guide! Joking aside, it's really nice to receive an accolade for which you can't self-nominate & I was delighted to open the congratulations letter from TR www.keystonelaw.com/news/thomson...

I got laid off today, with the rest of 18F. 18F was an elite federal software shop. We made gov't websites work better, more efficiently for the American people. We saved taxpayers from getting screwed over by contractors. And were fired for it. We made this website to tell our story: 18f.org

1/ For anyone with an interest in the paramedic profession & its development in the UK from 'ambulance attendants' to an esteemed healthcare profession with its own Royal College, I highly recommend 'The History of the Paramedic Profession – A Modern Success Story'.

Delighted by the promotion of Anne Marie Rugeris to Partner with effect from 1 February 2025 🙌 She's a brilliant lawyer who routinely leads on the most complex cases & achieves fantastic results. Also a hugely supportive & unfailingly kind colleague. Many congrats! keystonelaw.com/lawyers/anne...

Anyone want to review our rapid systematic review of research on PAs and AAs in UK from a PATIENT perspective? Has to happen this weekend. TY

Really urge everyone, but lawyers in particular, to listen to this latest episode of the excellent Law & Disorder podcast. What are we going to do to stand up for the rule of law? open.spotify.com/episode/4UFlWz…

It's National Love Your Pet Day, so here are some pictures of my loves Blake Carrington, Maud Gonne, Bumble, Tabitha Kitten and Florence (you can probably deduce from the names which already had well-established names when we adopted them and which we named ourselves) ❤️

This is really dreadful and may well have very significant consequences for the 222 doctors in question. Heartfelt sympathies to them.

Every time I get the train to London, I seem to unlock a new pet hate. Today's is obviously sick man who has not stopped coughing in the 35 minutes I've been on here. No sign of a hand covering his mouth, much less a tissue or mask. Why are people SO irresponsible & selfish? OK, I'm finished now.

Here’s the full apology by Murdoch’s NGN to the Duke of Sussex Prince Harry and Lord Tom Watson read out in court

Imagine having all that legal background and still expressing *this* opinion in public.

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” - Dr. Martin Luther King

If you don’t fancy watching the Inauguration tonight we are showing 24 hours in police custody at the same time which we aren’t saying is connected in any way shape or form…