General description of the work of a Consultant in Accident and Emergency
The Consultant in Accident and Emergency is the Consultant in charge of the Accident and Emergency Department (also known as the Casualty Department). He/she is involved in the immediate care of patients presenting with trauma related injuries as well as patients suddenly unwell for any reason brought directly to the hospital.
Much of his/her work will involve the management of minor trauma such as cuts, abrasions, lacerations, soft tissue injuries and bruising. He/she will be involved in the initial diagnosis and management of fractures, head injuries, burns as well as victims of more serious trauma such as road traffic accidents and assaults.
On the medical side, he/she will be involved in the initial diagnosis and management of patients presenting to the Accident and Emergency Department with conditions such as heart attacks (myocardial infarctions), asthma attacks, meningitis and strokes.


Most common clinical areas / procedures leading to a claim of clinical negligence
• missed fractures
• missed foreign bodies left in wounds
• missed intracranial bleeding (sub-dural haematoma)
• the management of acute asthma
• missed myocardial infarction


Sub-Specialities / Alternative and Additional job titles
The Consultant in Accident and Emergency may be known a Casualty Consultant or Consultant in Emergency Medicine.
Some Consultants in Accident and Emergency have come from a background in Orthopaedics. In Children’s Hospitals the Accident and Emergency Department is normally run by a Consultant from a Paediatric background.


Usual Qualifications
The Consultant In Accident and Emergency will usually have FRCS (Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons) after his name, as well as FFAEM (Fellow of the Faculty of Accident and Emergency Medicine).


Academic Appointments
The Consultant In Accident and Emergency may be a Lecturer or Professor in Emergency Medicine at a Medical School. He/She may be an Examiner for one of the Royal College of Surgeons.


Our Experts
The Consultants in Accident and Emergency who prepare reports on medical negligence cases on our behalf are all experienced NHS Consultants. They are in active clinical practice and they are experienced at preparing medico-legal reports. They are willing to attend Court in the UK and Ireland provided that they are given enough notice and that their fees and expenses for attending are agreed in advance.
Each of the Consultants in Accident and Emergency who prepare reports on our behalf has particular areas of clinical interest within his/her practice and we match each case with the most appropriate Consultant.


The Report
The Consultants in Accident and Emergency prepare their Reports for the benefit of the Courts. In other words, they prepare unbiased Reports in order to help the Court to decide the case, rather than to help one side or the other.
The Consultants in Accident and Emergency examine all the documentation and details of the case and look at the standard of care that the Client received. They then give their opinion on whether or not the standard of care that the Client received fell below the standard of care he/she should have received.
Where necessary they provide background documentation and information to back-up their opinion.


Documentation required
The most important documentation is the Client’s Hospital Records. This documentation will usually contain the Record of their Attendance at the Accident and Emergency Department as well as any In-patient Records, Operation Records, Nursing Records, Out-Patient Clinic Records and Correspondence.
There may be X-rays and CT or MRI scans. If these are related to the event in dispute then copies of these will be of help to the Consultant in Accident and Emergency when he/she is preparing his/her Report.
An account of events by the Client and/or the Client’s family will be of assistance to the Consultant in Accident and Emergency. Copies of the patient’s Attendances with their Solicitor will also help to clarify the areas of care that are at issue in the case.


Time-scale for the Report
Once we have confirmation to proceed with the Report the Consultant in Accident and Emergency can usually prepare his/her Report within 8 to 10 weeks. If a Report is needed urgently we will endeavour to have it prepared sooner than this.


Price of the Report
Once we receive all the documentation we will provide you with a quotation for the price of the Report from the Consultant in Accident and Emergency. If you decide to go ahead with the Report we will have it prepared and we will forward it to you on receipt of payment.
If you decide not to go ahead with the Report after receiving the quotation we will return all the documentation to you and there is no charge.


Queries on the Report / Addendums
The Reports from the Consultant in Accident and Emergency are usually very clear and give a concise opinion on the standard of care the Client received.
If minor clarifications are needed then these will be provided at no extra cost.
If, after the Report has been completed, additional documentation needs to be examined by the Consultant in Accident and Emergency or if additional work needs to be done in order to provide an Addendum to the Report, then there may be an additional charge. If so, we will inform you of this and only proceed with your approval.


Client Examination
The Consultants in Accident and Emergency do not normally need to see the Client in order to prepare a Report on the standard of care he/she has received. They can usually prepare their Report from the case notes and other documentation.
If the case does progress and a Report is needed on the Client’s current medical condition and/or prognosis for the future, then it is likely that the Client will need to see the Consultant in Accident and Emergency for an examination and we can make the necessary arrangements.