Medicolegal - Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost for reports?

Fees for routine noise induced hearing loss reports are billed at £550 plus £55 for an audiogram carried out in sound proof conditions, PLUS VAT. Fees for routine personal injury cases are billed at £650 (plus any investigations, such as hearing tests, specialist tests of olfactory function, scans, x-rays. Complex cases, such as ones with many hundreds of pages of medical records may be charged more than these fees. Medical negligence cases are billed at £300 per hour. Estimates are available on a case by case basis (from email@gkelly.co.uk).

Fees for routine noise induced hearing loss reports are billed at £550 plus £55 for an audiogram carried out in sound proof conditions, PLUS VAT. Complex cases, such as ones with many hundreds of pages of medical records may be charged more than these fees.
For reports involving many clients (up to 30 in one day), a clinic can be arranged with many clients seen in one day. If this is arranged by the commissioning party (with an audiologist supplied and paid for by that party) then reduced fees per report can be negotiated.
There is no difference in my fees for a ‘pass’ – that is someone whom I opine has a noise induced hearing loss or for a ‘fail’ that is someone whom I opine does not have a noise induced hearing loss. The work involved in the case is the same, and to be paid more for an opinion that is favourable to a client prejudices such a case.
Fees for routine personal injury cases are billed at £650 (plus any investigations, such as hearing tests, specialist tests of olfactory function, scans, x-rays. Complex cases, such as ones with many hundreds of pages of medical records may be charged more than these fees.
For negligence cases, fees are £300 per hour of work. More accurate estimations of fee for negligence cases can be provided after sight of the medical records and a full appraisal of the case.
In general, no. The report fee includes a review of the medical records. There is no additional fee unless the medical records are voluminous and run to several hundreds of pages.
Yes, I charge DNA (did not attend) fees of £150, but clients arrange their appointment with my secretary (after a letter or phone call asking him or her to do so at a convenient time and date) so this results in very few DNA rates.
I am VAT registered, therefore VAT will be added to all fees.
My fee to attend court is £3000 per day, or £1500 per half day. If such a court appearance is requested then this fee is payable unless 21 day notice is give of cancellation BY EMAIL to Email@GKelly.co.uk. This is because I will cancel NHS commitments for court appearances, taking annual leave and these commitments cannot be reinstated without adequate notice and such cancellation is wasteful to the NHS.
In general fees are expected to be paid at 6 months (or 180 days) from the date of the report being sent to the instructing party. If the instructing party wishes to negotiate on this requirement they should do this by correspondence (email@GKelly.co.uk). Failure to settle invoices may result in additional administrative charges being made and the addition of interest to unpaid debts (charged at 5% above the bank of England base rate).

 

I see clients in Leeds, usually the Nuffield Leeds Hospital, which is near the centre of town, a 10 to 15 minute walk from Leeds Railway Station. If this venue is unavailable (such as during the covid-19 situation, other venues are available). In general, I do not see clients outside Leeds and if clients require a consultation, then they would need to travel to Leeds to see me. Occasionally, I will see a large number of noise induced hearing loss claimants in a ‘clinic’ set up by a solicitor or agency, which can be in any location in the UK, but this is arranged by the solicitor or agency.
When I receive a referral for a medico legal case, my secretary contacts the client immediately asking them to make an appointment to see me, usually in the Nuffield Hospital in Leeds. This is at the client’s convenience and significantly cut down failures to attend. Appointments are usually available within 2-3 weeks or so. I send reports (in high quality, signed PDF format) by email. Papers copies are available on request. Over 90% of reports are sent within 7 days of me seeing the client.
Over 90% of reports are generated within 2 weeks of me seeing the claimant. These are usually produced in high quality PDF files.
My reports are mostly commissioned by the claimant’s solicitors (60%). The report however is addressed to the court and there is no bias or prejudice in any of my report. My reports are honest and truthful, even if this opinion goes against other medical professionals or other doctors or other ENT surgeons.
I have reported on many negligence cases, in most aspects of ENT operations and conditions. Common cases are nerve damage after surgery (including facial and accessory nerve damage), hearing loss and dizziness post operations (including cases of gentamicin toxicity). Also common are cases where consent is a factor in potential negligence. With the Montgomery ruling, such consent cases are more prevalent. I have lectured on consent for ENT surgery with respect to the Montgomery ruling, at the Spring Meeting of ENT UK in York in April 2017.
I accept medical records for medico-legal cases on paper or in electronic format (electronic format is preferred by email or secure document web transfer), this very much more efficient and is much better for the environment!
Sorry, I do not do pro bono work.
To refer someone for a medico-legal opinion, please look at my terms and conditions. Please email me (Email@GKelly.co.uk) or my medico-legal secretary, Maureen (PA@GKelly.co.uk) with the details and promptly we will arrange an appointment and the report.
I began medico-legal work in 2002.
I have opined on over 3900 medico-legal cases, I have now written more than 450 negligence reports.
I carry out about 200-300 medico-legal cases per year.

I started clinical negligence reports in 2003.

Joint reports are common and I have carried out about 80-120 of these joint report with other experts.

I have attended court 5 times as a expert witness (as of the middle of 2021). 

I do not charge for amended reports, where the amendment is a correction of fact where information regarding the fact has been in my possession at the time of me writing the report. However, I do charge for further or amended reports because there is new information to review. I am happy to correct errors in reports, however I only make amendments to reports after a solicitor or agent of a solicitor makes an argument for any correction. I will not make amendments to report just because claimants or defendants disagree with my opinion.

I am keen to avoid situations where instructing parties do not pay invoices, I will actively chase such fees and administrative fees may be added to invoices in these situations, as may interest. I will not work on further cases instructed by solicitors or agents who have defaulted on payments until these debts are paid.