Clinical negligence: defendant

Sarah White is a very experienced NHS Resolution Nominated Partner with a wealth of expertise in handling high value clinical negligence claims, specialising in multimillion pound catastrophic injury cases. She is based in our Birmingham office. She has a tremendous track record of swift resolution of claims, analysing and rapidly settling indefensible cases, and fighting and winning high profile and high value defensible claims at trial. She is responsible for supervising our trial portfolio across the teams, and sits on the Browne Jacobson Board

   Jasmine is manager of the Birmingham Healthcare team.  Since 2001, Jasmine has provided specialist advice managing clinical negligence claims for NHS Resolution. Her practice spans general healthcare advice dealing with inquests, best interests assessments for children and adults; CQC interventions; deprivation of liberty issues; data security and information governance issues for NHS Trusts and other healthcare providers.  Her good understanding of the clinical and resource pressures ensures her advice is pragmatic and robust.  She trains colleagues and clients, educating healthcare staff upon aspects of healthcare law including claims, inquests and the implications this has upon safety and learning drawing on her wealth of experience of clinical claims.  She leads on changing culture by using innovative dispute resolution techniques to resolve claims as early as possible.

Louise Jeffers is a Senior Associate in the Health and Advisory Litigation Team. She is Team Leader of the Adult Neurological injuries team. She previously worked for 6 years in Claimant clinical negligence and in 2016 joined Browne Jacobson's Defendant clinical negligence team. She specialises in defending high value adult neurological injury claims for NHS Resolution. Louise is known for the high quality of her work and tenacious approach, winning the confidence of her clients who have described her as a 'strong litigator' and remarked on her 'excellent witness engagement'. She builds admirable relationships with the opposing party and has been praised by Claimant's solicitors for her 'empathetic approach' and the 'pleasant and professional' way in which she conducts claims on behalf of Defendants. Louise has represents the Defendant in notable claims including Lesley Elder v George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust, a fundamental dishonesty claim where the Claimant was successfully prosecuted for contempt of Court, and in Bayley v George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust, an important informed consent claim. Louise has secured numerous Trial wins on behalf of the NHS. Louise has been instrumental in the development of Resolution Days, carried out on behalf of NHS Resolution with Claimant law firms, negotiatingdozens of settlements in one day.She has recently undertaken a large-scale analysis of key trends and themes emerging from claims in order to identify learning opportunities and additional support required by specific Trusts. Louise continues to ensure the development of others through supervision and the creation and delivery of training modules, including CRU and Fatal Accidents Act claims.

Emma is a Defendant Clinical Negligence Specialist with over 25 years' experience of acting for NHS Resolution and NHS Trusts in the defence of NHS hospitals and staff. She specialises in high value catastrophic injury claims particularly those relating to complex birth injury; complex neurological injury and acquired brain and spinal injury in both children and adults. She is experienced in the resolution of liability and quantum issues both in the course of litigation and by mediation and ADR. This year notable cases she has managed include: a. A complex cauda equina case where breach of duty was admitted but causation was denied. There were factual disputes as to symptoms present at the time of the presentation and as to the likely treatment timelines even with the management contended for. The parties agreed to adjourn a CCMC and to proceed to early mediation where the case was resolved and where the Claimant was provided with an opportunity to raise queries as to the care received. b. An adult neurological injury claim relating to an alleged delay in diagnosis and treatment of a collapse of thoracic vertebrae which was alleged to have caused spinal cord compression. Causation was complex due to pre-existing comorbidities. The case was resolved by ADR. c. A child neurological disability claim relating to the management of their mother during labour and delivery. Full pre-action admissions were made. A collaborative approach was adopted between the parties with judgment entered and a stay agreed in order to await a more definitive prognosis.

Hannah specialises in clinical negligence claims for NHS Resolution, within the Health and Advisory Litigation team.