As we head into 2025, it’s time to look back over some of the topics we have discussed in our blog posts this year.

In the past 12 months, we have covered a range of topics from the role of the expert witness to discussions around local anaesthetics, from new rules for ADR to the importance of showing your workings.

January

We started of the new year with a look at the new protocols for the management of Hypoglycaemia in the Emergency department and the steps that need to be taken for management, discharge and aftercare. We also looked at the occurrence of fractures and why, unfortunately they can be all too often missed by doctors. This is an issue that is more common that many might imagine.

February – April

From February to April we took an in-depth look at the expert witness and the importance of the role. We also delved into the issue of the role of remote evidence and what problems can arise when the witness is not based in the UK. Updates provided by the GMC on witness statements and expert evidence were the topic of our third blog, and we also looked at the critical difference between being a witness at an inquest and being a witness in a clinical negligence case.

May

In May, prompted by a BBC report into the death in April 2023 of a patient at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, we took an in-depth look at negligence in a hospital setting and the potential tragic results this can have.

We also looked at why expert witnesses may now be asked to show their working out following the Supreme Court decision in Griffith v TUI. We also delved into the use of the Tourniquet and how this ancient technique is making a comeback.  

June – August

The summer months were a little quieter. In June, we took an informative look at Carpal bone injuries and the difficulty of diagnosing them.

August we considered why expert witnesses must be independent with a particular reference to the Brian Muyepa v. Ministry of Defence case of 2022, which highlighted what can go wrong when this isn’t the case.

We also looked at the expert witness dilemma that can occur when an important medical conference, which may offer valuable insights, occurs during a trial. It might not happen too often but the case of Biggadike v El Farra & El-Neil highlights the dilemma that can be faced by the professionals involved.

September

We started September by looking at a change to the civil procedure rules that now make ADR (alternative dispute resolution) compulsory and considering the implications of this move. We also took another look at Biggadike v El Farra & El-Neil, this time with regard to the unassailability of the expert witness.

October

We took a look at the case of Arksey v Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the subject of the impact that a poor expert witness can have on a medical negligence case, and the importance of making sure that you double-check that you have everything you need prepared properly for a court case.

November

During November we took an in-depth look at the different types of local anaesthetic that might be used in an emergency department and how they might be administered.

Our final blog of the year also looked at the topic of anaesthetics, but this time we explored the problems that might arise from the administration of anaesthetics in the emergency department and the possible complications that can occur.

We look forward to bringing you more interesting news and views from the courtroom and medical departments as 2025 rolls on. Please check back often to see what else we’re talking about.