William Edis KC

William 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.