A campaign to enlist more doctors as expert witnesses has been launched by professional support group, the Medical Protection Society (MPS).
The organisation, which supports healthcare professionals with legal problems, says more doctors are needed to provide evidence in General Medical Council (GMC) hearings and criminal courts.
Speaking this week at a Westminster Health Forum event, MPS medical director Dr Rob Hendry said: ‘We need more doctors to be freed up by their employer as well as encouraged and trained to take on this important role.’
Hendry called on NHS employers to make it easier for doctors to act as an expert witness. GP and consultant training should include training in expert witness skills, he said, while the GMC should look into including expert witness credentials on its medical register.
