1COR Quarterly Medical Law Review – Summer 2020 – Issue 6 - Sep 2020
Recognised as a leading Silk in his field, William Edis KC has a wide practice covering healthcare law, clinical negligence, disciplinary and regulatory inquiries, inquests, employment, healthcare-related public law and personal injury. He regularly acts in cases of the highest value, importance and complexity. He has appeared before the Supreme Court, the House of Lords, the Court of Appeal and all courts and tribunals relevant to his practice areas.
He has acted as a mediator.
Clinical NegligenceWilliam has specialised in clinical negligence for over 25 years. He represents both claimants and defendants and has great experience in all types of clinical negligence actions including cases against hospitals, general practitioners and associated healthcare professionals. He is acknowledged as having an excellent grasp of medical issues.
He has appeared in clinical negligence cases in the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the House of Lords (Gregg v Scott).
In PQR William negotiated a settlement for a brain-damaged claimant where the causation case was complicated by the unrelated presence of Septooptic dysplasia and a chromosomal defect.
William has been involved in recent cases involving allegations of negligence within many fields, including:
- Genetic counselling and evaluation
- Fetal anomaly scanning
- Obstetric and neonatal medicine
- A missed ectopic pregnancy causing a rare neurological syndrome
- Missed meningitis
- Inadequate treatment of infections
- Serious spinal injuries
- Delayed primary care referral for cancer
- Missed septic arthritis
- Delayed treatment of a cardiac arrest
- Negligent amputations
- Alleged negligence in a laryngectomy for laryngeal cancer causing total paralysis of the tongue
- Quantum only dispute arising out of obstetric negligence where the claimant would in any event have been adversely affected by a genetic condition (Noonan’s NF Syndrome)
William also has an interest in medical product liability claims, having acted in several group actions (including the Oral Contraceptive Pill, MMR and Depuy Hylamer prosthetic implants cases) and has advised in relation to various medical and surgical products, including the use of transvaginal mesh.
Selected Cases
- Coe v [2018]: Whether the occurrence a complication that was nowhere recognised in the extensive available literature as being liable to occur even without negligence was a sufficient event to prove negligence.
- Moore v Plymouth (2016): William successfully defended a Trust against an allegation of femoral nerve damage during minimally-invasive knee replacement surgery.
- Hall v Thomas and Everton Football Club [2014]: allegedly negligent treatment of a professional footballer ending a career in football.
- Dhillon v MUMS (2014): He successfully represented the defendant in a case concerning an allegedly negligent fetal anomaly scan.
- Gregg v Scott: [2005] AC 176 (HL): acted for the defendant at first instance, in the Court of Appeal and House of Lords. Leading case on loss of a chance damages.
William Edis KC has extensive experience in acting before professional disciplinary tribunals, most commonly those of the General Medical Council, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and the General Dental Council. He has acted in cases of clinical incompetence, behavioural misconduct, sexual misconduct, fraud (including research fraud), behavioural misconduct and general issues of dishonesty. He has particular experience in performance and competence issues.
Recently, he has successfully helped a doctor be restored following administrative erasure even though complaints had been made during the period of non-registration, assisted veterinary surgeons in various disciplinary inquiries and represented Dr Michalak in her successful trip to the Supreme Court in relation to the jurisdiction of the Employment Tribunal where a registrant wishes to allege discriminatory treatment by a regulator that is unlawful under the Equality Act 2010.
He is the Chair of the Disciplinary Appeals Tribunal of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.
Selected Cases
- Michalak v General Medical Council & others [2017] UKSC 71: forum for complaints of unlawful discrimination within regulatory proceedings.
- Lovett v HCPC [2018] EWHC (Admin) 1024
- Muscat v HCP [2009] EWCA Civ 1090: fresh evidence on appeal where that appeal takes the form of a rehearing.
- Chakrabarty v Ipswich Hospitals NHS Trust and NCAS [2014] EWHC 2735 (QB): parallel proceedings before the MPTS and under MHPS
- R (ota Michalak) v GMC [2011] EWHC 2307 (Admin): Consequences of a GMC panel becoming inquorate mid-hearing.
William Edis QC secures compensation for brain damaged boy - Jul 2020
William Edis QC, instructed by Corrina Mottram of Gadsby Wicks, acted on behalf of a young child who had suffered severe brain damage as a result of negligence leading up to the time of his birth. ...
1COR Quarterly Medical Law Review – Spring 2020 – Issue 5 - May 2020
Welcome to the fifth issue of the Quarterly Medical Law Review, brought to you by the barristers at 1 Crown Office Row. In this packed edition you will find: Download the Spring 2020 newsletter...
LawPod UK Ep. 110: Commercial surrogacy arrangements – within or without the law? - May 2020
In the latest episode of Law Pod UK, Rosalind English talks to William Edis QC of 1 Crown Office Row about the recent Supreme Court ruling on whether damages can be claimed against the NHS in respect...
The End, the Beginning of the End or the End of the Beginning: Erasure, Remediation and Rights of Appeal in Disciplinary Proceedings - Nov 2018
This seminar, with opening remarks from Richard Booth QC and chaired by Clodagh Bradley QC, will look at Erasure, Remediation and Rights of Appeal relating to professional discipline and regulatory...
William Edis QC succeeds in the Supreme Court in a significant case concerning regulated professionals - Nov 2017
William Edis QC, with Adam Ohringer of Cloisters, successfully resisted an appeal to the Supreme Court by the General Medical Council. They were instructed for the claimant by RadcliffesLeBrasseur,...
William Edis QC wins important discrimination appeal against the GMC - Mar 2016