Healthcare advisory
Specialist service for clinicians and NHS trusts dealing
with a wide range of issues from consent, best interests, data
protection and mental health through to inquests and judicial
reviews.
Healthcare presents a variety of challenges in
terms of professional conduct and legal protection for the
individual and authorities concerned. Policies, decisions and
actions need to be founded on the firmest legal grounds, and expert
advice needs to be readily available to allow everyday activities
to be carried out efficiently.
Weightmans’ Healthcare Advisory specialists
provide a complete service in this area. We work predominantly with
clinicians, NHS managers and Trust Boards, and our clients include
Primary Care Trusts, Foundation Trusts, Acute Hospitals, Children’s
Hospitals, Mental Health Trusts, Ambulance Trusts and private
sector healthcare providers.
Whichever part of the sector you are concerned
with, we can help you to deal with every kind of legal/medical
issue, whether contentious or non-contentious. Our services range
from one-off telephone advice to detailed written advice,
applications for court orders, inquests and long running
inquiries.
With contentious work, we provide
representation at inquests, and handle inquiries, judicial reviews,
court applications, injunctions and Emergency Treatment Orders. Our
non-contentious services include advice on human rights issues (a
growing area of concern for NHS bodies) and best interest issues
such as “Do Not Resuscitate” Orders and end of life decisions,
along with the legal complications arising from treating those
lacking capacity.
We also advise on patient confidentiality and
information-sharing issues in relation to the Data Protection Act
1998 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000; this includes
providing guidance on balancing the desire to share information
with the need to protect privacy.
Our other services include advising on
Foundation Trust constitutions, Foundation Trust Board
responsibilities and powers, primary care issues, complaints,
public health, community care and patient discharge matters.
To view the Health and Social Care Training
Programme, click here.
To download a copy of the NHS legal
awareness and training programme, click here.