Siobhan has some 25 years specialist experience in clinical negligence claims, professional disciplinary proceedings, inquiries and coroner’s inquests and other medically related work in the Chambers of Kieran Coonan QC between 1981 and 2005 and, more recently, in the chambers of Robert Francis QC and John Grace QC.

Siobhan's clinical negligence practice, in particular, has involved the analysis of factual situations to which complex issues of breach of duty and causation are then applied.  She has acted on behalf of both claimants and defendants (approximately 50:50 split).  With the increasing emphasis on settlement, a significant proportion of my practice was undertaken advising in conference with the patient/health professionals concerned, several experts, the institutional client and instructing solicitor.  The conference process usually involves:

• assimilation of a reasonably complex factual background
• analysis of the key issues
• understanding, absorbing and testing the opinion of several experts from different disciplines/backgrounds and often with conflicting views
• seeking to achieve consensus where possible or narrowing/defining issues in dispute where consensus cannot be achieved
• applying and explaining the relevant law
• summarising the issues and advising on the relative strengths and weaknesses in the claim
• communicating my own views in a comprehensible and reasoned manner to a range of recipients
• ensuring that each person attending the conference feels his/her views have been heard, understood and respected
• advising in writing with reasons

Upon the dissolution of 6 Pump Court in 2005 Siobhan joined 3 Sergeants’ Inn which also specialises in medically related work. While she still undertakes medical work at the Bar Siobhan has over the past few years concentrated upon further development of the skills involved in acting as a Chair and/or as a Legal Assessor.

Current appointments:

December 2000 to date

Appointed by the Lord Chancellor to sit as a Legal Chair of the Family Health Services Appeal Authority (FHSAA). This body determines appeals by practitioners in relation to their suspension, removal, contingent removal or conditional inclusion on the medical, ophthalmic and pharmaceutical lists in the NHS on the grounds of unsuitability, fraud or inefficiency.  It also has the power to nationally disqualify a practitioner in appropriate cases.

Siobhan's role in the panel is to chair the decision- making team and to give legal direction as appropriate.  She sits with two other members: one lay and the other from the particular profession involved in any given case. In the last two years she has sat for about 35 days.

Siobhan is also a member of the Steering Committee of the FHSAA, which advises on policy issues.

2002 to date

Legal assessor appointed by the Health Profession Council (HPC) which is the regulatory body responsible for some twelve health professions.  Siobhan's role as legal assessor is to sit with and advise the various statutory committees (Conduct and Competence, Health, Interim Orders and Registration Appeals) on evidence and law in their regulatory proceedings. The panels always consist of lay and professional members. In the last two years she has sat for about 25 days.

2005 to Date

Legal assessor appointed by the General Dental Council

A similar role to that Siobhan performs at the HPC save that the regulated profession is that of dentistry. She has sat for 10 days in the last six months.

2006

Siobhan has recently been asked to become Chair of the Registration Appeals Committee at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. This post will not effectively commence until late 2006 pending completion of legislative changes.