Hannah Noyce

Hannah is regularly instructed by both claimants and defendants in a broad range of complex and sensitive clinical negligence claims.

Hannah is a co-author of the Clinical Practitioners chapter of Professional Negligence and Liability, and gives regular talks and seminars on recent developments in the law.

Selected Cases

• Middleton v Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust [2022] EWHC 2981 (KB) : acted for the successful defendant in a claim concerning an alleged delay in performing revascularisation surgery. The defendant succeeded on all issues following a five day trial in the High Court.
• ABC v St. George’s Healthcare NHS Trust and others [2017] EWCA Civ 336: acted as junior counsel for the defendants in a claim concerning the limits of the duty of care in the context of genetic medicine. Hannah was instructed throughout the proceedings, including the initial strike out proceedings heard by the Court of Appeal ([2017] EWCA Civ 336), and a six-day trial in the High Court.
• Various Claimants v Ian Paterson (2017): acted as junior counsel for the claimants in test cases brought against a consultant breast surgeon for negligent treatment of hundreds of NHS and private patients spanning a decade.

Hannah regularly appears at a wide variety of inquests for both families and other interested parties. She has particular expertise in inquests involving medical treatment, mental health, prisons, and food safety.

Selected Cases

• Inquest touching the death of Celia Marsh (2022): acted for the family in a three week inquest into the death of a woman with a severe dairy allergy, who died after eating a flatbread bought from Pret-a-Manger.
• Inquest touching the death of Mitchell Rudge (2022): acted for a GP in a three week, Article 2 jury inquest into the death of a serving prisoner.
• Inquest touching the death of Eliot Harris (2022): acted for the family in a two week, Article 2 jury inquest into the death of a patient who died while detained under the Mental Health Act.

Hannah represents both claimants and defendants in a wide variety of personal injury claims, in particular fatal accidents, abuse claims, and high value road traffic accident claims.

Hannah has particular expertise in claims concerning food safety and allergies. In 2022, she acted as junior counsel to the family in the inquest into the death of Celia Marsh, who died as a result of a dairy allergy after eating a flatbread bought from Pret-a-Manger. She is instructed in a number of other claims involving injuries caused by allergic reactions, in which allegations are made against medical practitioners, food retailers, and others.

Hannah acted as junior counsel for the interveners in CN & GN v Poole BC [2019] UKSC 25, in which the Supreme Court clarified the extent to which public authorities owe a common law duty to protect children from harm caused by third parties.

Hannah is developing a broad practice in data, information, and privacy law. She has particular expertise in cases involving medical data, and has acted in claims involving allegations made against GP practices with regard to the disclosure of medical records and other personal information. She also has a growing practice in general data protection law, and regularly advises potential claimants seeking redress for data breaches.

Hannah has a keen interest in environmental matters and has acted in a range of cases across the spectrum of environmental law.

Selected Cases

• Safety-Kleen UK Ltd v Environment Agency [2020] EWHC 3147 (Admin): acted as junior counsel for the claimant in a judicial review of a classification decision by the EA
• The M4 Relief Road (2017-19): represented the Gwent Wildlife Trust, objecting to the proposal to build an M4 relief road in South Wales.
• Holborn Studios Ltd and Del Brenner v Hackney Council [2017] EWHC 2823 (Admin): counsel for one of the successful claimants in a judicial review quashing a grant of planning permission following a failure to re-consult.

Hannah is regularly instructed in a range of cases involving human rights. She has a particular interest in matters relating to healthcare, and regularly appears at inquests which raise issues under Article 2 ECHR and/or complex medical issues, as well as in claims under the Human Rights Act 1998.

Hannah was previously a member of the editorial team for the UK Human Rights Blog.

Selected Cases

• CN & Another v Poole Borough Council: instructed as junior counsel for the AIRE Centre, intervening in the Supreme Court, with particular focus on issues arising under the ECHR and UN conventions.
• ABC v St. George’s Healthcare NHS Trust and others [2017] EWCA Civ 336: junior counsel for the defendants in a claim concerning the competing rights of patients and family members in genetic medicine.