Dental Negligence: How lawyers can improve their chances of success from the expert’s perspective

Dr Louisa Sherlock, barrister at No5 Barristers’ Chambers and former dental surgeon, is to host a series of vlogs on the topic of dental negligence. These vlogs will provide invaluable feedback from a number of experienced dental experts from a variety of different disciplines on how they think that lawyers could improve their chances of success and reduce their costs.

The vlogs are guided by the experience of senior barristers at No5 Barristers’ Chambers, and the following barristers will join the vlogs: Henry Pitchers QC, Richard Adams and Peter Dean.

VLOG series:

  1. Which Expert to Instruct with special guests; Paul Tipton, Lucy Nichols, Madeline Murray
  2. What the Expert Needs from the Lawyer with special guests; Mike Young, Lucy Nichols
  3. Communication Between Expert and Lawyer with special gusts; Mike Young, Lucy Nichols
  4. Part 35 Questions with special guests; Lucy Nichols, Elizabeth Tyler
  5. Oral Cancer with special guests; Lucy Nichols, Laurence Newman

All of the special guests’ profiles can be read below.

 

Dr Madeleine Murray BDS, MSc, MPhil, FDS (Rest.Dent.) RCPS, MRD RCS Eng. FDS RCS Ed.

Madeleine qualified as a dental surgeon in 1984. She is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow and also a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. She is a registered specialist with the GDC.

Madeleine completed specialist training in Restorative Dentistry in 1997 and has broad experience working within specialist practice, the NHS Dental Hospital service and University teaching across the UK and also in China. She now splits her working week between private specialist practice and teaching undergraduates at Glasgow Dental Hospital where she is an Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer. In addition, she regularly lectures locally to general dentists and Scottish hospital trainees. She sits on the Specialty Advisory Board in Restorative Dentistry for the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, is an examiner for the Membership in Periodontics and a Faculty Member of the British Society of Periodontology.

Following completion of a degree in Medical Law and Ethics and the Bond Solon CUBS certificate, Madeleine now has regular involvement in expert report preparation in the field of Periodontology.

 

Mr Laurence Newman  FRCS FDS LLM 

Mr Newman is currently a consultant maxillofacial / head and neck surgeon at The Queen Victoria Hospital, West Sussex. He worked as a consultant maxillofacial surgeon at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children from 1997 to 2002, and at University College Hospital from 1997 to 2008.

Mr Newman writes approximately 180 medico-legal reports annually, both for Claimants and Defendants.

He is currently an examiner for the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons examinations in Maxillofacial Surgery, and has published widely in peer reviewed journals on topics relating to facial trauma and Head and Neck surgical oncology.

Mr Newman was also on the NICE Guideline Committee writing national recommendations relating to the treatment of Head and Neck Cancer from 2013 – 2015 and on the Specialist Member Quality Standards Advisory Committee on Head and Neck Cancer from 2016-2017.

 

Dr Lucy Nichols BDS MFDS RCPS MSc (cosmetic dentistry)

Lucy qualified as a dental surgeon 20 years ago. Early in her career, she spent a year and a half working in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Around that time, she also gained the diploma of membership of the Royal College of Surgeons. After a few years in general practice she undertook an MSc in cosmetic restorative dentistry.

For the last ten years, Lucy has been working exclusively in private practice where following further training, she now also undertakes orthodontic work and places dental implants. She has been doing expert witness work for 6 years. During this time, she has taken instructions from around 30 law firms, 3 dental indemnifiers and the General Dental Council.

Lucy currently completes around 200 reports a year and gives evidence for GDC hearings several times a year.

 

Professor Paul Tipton BDS, MSc, DGDP RCS (UK)

Paul qualified as a dental surgeon in 1978, attained a Master of Science Degree in Conservative Dentistry from Eastman Dental Hospital and the University of London in 1989, attained a Diploma in General Dental Practice from the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1992 and was awarded the title Specialist in Prosthodontics by the General Dental Council in 1999.

Paul is a visiting professor at the City of London Dental School, a Specialist in Prosthodontics, an owner of T Clinic in Manchester and London, and President of the British Academy of Restorative Dentistry.

He has over 30 years of experience in expert witness report writing and completes approximately 25 reports per year.

Paul is very well known in the dental world for postgraduate restorative dentistry training which he provides to dentists: he is Clinical Director of Tipton Training Limited with academies in Manchester, London, Dubai and Dublin, and he lectures worldwide on Cosmetic and Restorative Dentistry and Prosthodontics.

Website:  https://www.drpaultipton.com/

 

Dr Elizabeth Tyler BChD Dip Rest Dent RCS(Eng) FFGDP(UK)

Elizabeth qualified from the University of Leeds in 2004 and has over 15 years of clinical experience in both NHS and private practice.

Since qualification, Elizabeth has carried out extensive post-graduate training, being awarded a Diploma in Restorative Dentistry from the Royal College of Surgeons and culminating in becoming a Fellow of the Faculty of General Dental Practice in 2012.

This year, Elizabeth has been awarded the Cardiff University Bond Solon Expert Witness Certificate, having also been awarded a Certificate in Dental Law and Ethics from the University of Bedfordshire in 2016.

Elizabeth was appointed by the GDC as a Clinical Expert and Advisor in 2014 and appointed as a Clinical Complaints Reviewer for NHS England in 2017.  She has been described by the GDC Professional Conduct Committee as a “Fair and reliable witness”.

 

Dr Mike Young BA BDS Msc

Mike qualified as a dental surgeon in the late 1970s.

He worked briefly in community dentistry before moving into general practice and was then a practice owner for 25 years. Mike studied for an MSc in the late 1980s, after which he returned to general practice and specialist practice combined.

Throughout his professional career, Mike taught restorative dentistry and children’s dentistry in two dental schools. 

Mike started his career as an expert witness in the mid-1990s. He ceased his clinical career in 2003 and his expert witness career in 2006.

Since then, Mike has written two books, the prize-winning ‘Managing a dental practice the Genghis Khan way’ and ‘The effective and efficient clinical negligence expert witness’. He also gained a BA in classics and ancient history in 2012. 

Mike now mentors and coaches expert witnesses, manages a study group and facilitates training for dental experts.