With the amount of money spent on settling medical claims in the United Kingdom soaring and with ever-increasing requirements by the Courts Service for expert witnesses to supply evidence, the potential opportunities and rewards for
medico legal work are great. Often involving the production of detailed analysis and reports to support the evidence given, practitioners who supply
medico legal work may find it necessary to explain in some detail, but also in ‘lay-mans’ language, the evidence that is being delivered. There may be a requirement to attend court to present the evidence based on the
medico legal work in person, or the role may just be advisory. In either case, there is a requirement for any
medico legal work to be compiled and delivered in on objective, independent and unemotional manner. Medical reporting organizations are often used as the medium through which a third party will request
medico legal work and so it is important when intending to offer such services that links are forged with as many MRO’s as possible. The amount of demand for
medico legal work may differ from one specialty to the next and also from one geographical area to the next, however, there is no doubt that the overall demand for
medico legal work is increasing and likely to continue to do so.