Criminal Investigations

In a climate of increased regulatory scrutiny and greater penalties when things go wrong organisations want tailored, pragmatic advice and solutions.

Our specialist national team advises a wide range of independent and public sector providers and individuals operating in the health and social care sector; working with those who are facing criminal and/or regulatory investigation by bodies such as the Police, the CQC and/or the Health and Safety Executive and local authorities.

Whether an out-of-hours emergency in the immediate aftermath of a serious incident, or supporting you through a lengthy criminal investigation, our strategic advice will cut through the legal complexities and deliver calm at times of severe pressure on both individuals and organisations.

Whilst you may be in unfamiliar territory, criminal investigations, interviews under caution, court hearings and inquests are an everyday experience for us. We will lead you through the challenges you face, ensuring you are informed, prepared and properly advised every step of the way, whatever the size of the crisis.

What we do

The breadth of experience in the team means that there are few situations we have not encountered, and we bring this experience and wide sector knowledge to all our advice. This experience includes advising in relation to CQC and HSE prosecutions (e.g. offences under the Health & Social Care Act 2008 and health and safety legislation) and cases of wilful neglect, gross negligence and corporate manslaughter, advised upon by our specialist team of criminal lawyers. Our national team also undertakes a significant number of inquests every year and advise in respect of serious incident investigations and other inquiries into adverse clinical events.

The locations of our regional offices mean that we can provide essential early advice and attendance when required, day and night.

Our experience means we are also well placed to advise on compliance issues and changes that can be made to your policies and procedures to help you try to avoid incidents, investigations and prosecutions in the future.

To find out more about how we can help, you can click on the following:

• Police Investigations
• CQC Enforcement Action
• HSE/Local Authority Investigations

Our experience

R v Errol Cornish and Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust 2016
Successful defence of first corporate manslaughter prosecution brought against an NHS Trust.