Rebecca is a healthcare solicitor in Healthcare and Regulatory team who assists on claims, regulatory, advisory, criminal, inquest and inquiry work.
She has excellent experience in the defence of doctors, dentists and other healthcare practitioners whose registration is called into question by their regulators, including by the GMC, GDC, NMC and HCPC. Rebecca has also acted for regulators in the prosecution of fitness to practise proceedings, as well as in relation to judicial review cases. She undertakes inquests and has experience in the defence of criminal matters.
Rebecca also assists in the defence of clinical negligence claims including high-value complex claims involving a wide range of clinical specialties. She has experience acting for insurers, private clients, medical defence unions, as well as NHS Resolution. She has worked as a panel solicitor for NHSR and the Medical Protection Society. Prior to qualification, Rebecca worked for a top-tier claimant clinical negligence firm, which has provided her with a unique perspective and a comprehensive understanding of strategy, both of which assist in her defence work.
Expertise
- Litigation
- Dispute resolution
- Regulatory
- Criminal
Experience
- Assisted in acting on behalf of the owner of an out-of-hours service provider in relation to a very-high-value stroke case. Successful defence of the claim resulted in the claimant accepting a drop-hands offer shortly before trial.
- Assisted on the successful defence of a GP before a Medical Practitioners Tribunal in a 10-day listed case of alleged digital and metal speculum instrument intimate (vaginal) examination, with every allegation not proven, no misconduct found and the GP’s fitness to practise found not to be impaired.
- Prepared persuasive Rule 7 submissions on a matter that involved allegations of sexual misconduct by a spinal surgeon, which resulted in the GMC closing the case at the Rule 8 stage despite conflicting factual accounts.
- Assisted on the successful defence of a registered nurse in criminal proceedings who was charged with the wilful neglect of a care home resident with dementia. Also instructed to represent the nurse’s interests in the regulatory investigation by the Nursing and Midwifery Council and in relation to the subsequent inquest.
- Assisted on the prosecution by the General Optical Council (GOC) in relation to a Registered Optometrist charged with gross negligence manslaughter in 2013 in connection with the death of a 7-year-old patient from papilloedema (swelling of the optic nerve).
- Prepared a Rule 28 application that resulted in all charges being withdrawn against a plastic surgeon shortly before the commencement of a fitness to practise hearing before a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Hearing.
- Assisted in the representation of a drug and alcohol recovery service in relation to an inquest, which avoided any criticism by the Coroner, and therefore any reputational damage.
- Assisted in bringing a high-value and complex multi-defendant clinical negligence claim, which was successful at trial in the Royal Courts of Justice.
- Assisted on the recovery of a £3.2m for an 80-year-old with complete paraplegia due to negligent anaesthesia.
- Assisted on a £3.3m settlement for a claimant with an impaired life expectancy that included an annual payment to cover ongoing future 24-hour care.
Career
Rebecca qualified as a solicitor in 2020. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2022, she worked at the following firms:
- DWF
- Stewarts