Ed is a Partner in Kennedys’ London office. Previously listed as one of only three Star Associates specialising in defendant clinical negligence in Chambers UK 2016, he acts on behalf of NHS Resolution for a large number of NHS trusts. These include Barts Health NHS Trust and King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
Ed also defends medical malpractice insurers and private hospitals and clinics. He mainly, but by no means exclusively, acts in a number of high-value birth injury cases and cases involving paralysis following spinal injury. He recently proceeded to trial on a high value quantum case where an attempt had been made to challenge the Court of Appeal decision in the case of Iqbal [2007]. The pursuit of this point was dropped following robust defence.
Other aspects of his work include representing, and conducting advocacy for, NHS trusts and private hospitals at inquests. A recent success includes an inquest where Ed secured the quashing of a senior coroner’s finding. A fresh inquest was ordered. Ed also has experience in representing defendants at round table meetings and mediations.
Ed has represented various Medical Protection Society members on general practitioner claims and claims involving reconstructive surgery, vascular surgery and neurosurgery. On the regulatory side, Ed has experience of matters proceeding before both the General Medical Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council. He has assisted the NHS Confederation looking at risk management standards from the perspective of NHS trusts and has recently been considering what the UK can learn from patient safety initiatives put in place by the Hong Kong Hospital Authority.
He has contributed to government thinking by leading the firm’s response to the government consultation on rapid resolution and redress for severe birth injury.
Ed advises NHS trusts on health law issues, such as capacity, emergency declarations and duty of candour requirements. He also lectures at the Royal College of Medicine. Most recently he lectured on the duty of candour, dealing with complaints and responding to legal claims.
Other work within the discipline of healthcare has been considering emerging risks associated with the Secretary of State for Health’s aim for a digital future for the NHS.
Ed regularly contributes to the Kennedys’ healthcare publications and is a co-author of Kennedys’ medical law guide, having written the chapter on inquests.
Outside the field of healthcare, Ed is a member of the Forum of Insurance Lawyers (FOIL). He has also been working with both BPP Law School and CILEx Law School on the ongoing development of legal apprenticeships.
Qualifications
- Qualified in England and Wales in 2006
