I’m often contacted by new clients (in the main healthcare professionals) who are seeking advice shortly before the expiry of a deadline.

Often, the request for advice or representation has followed many communications by the regulator which the healthcare practitioner simply couldn’t face, or didn’t understand, or didn’t know how to respond or sometimes where the healthcare practitioner had hoped that case would simply be closed, that it would all go away….

But here’s what every healthcare professional should know:

Ignoring emails/letters is unlikely to help and could even mean missing out on opportunities to close the case.

Whilst each case /regulator is different, there may be opportunities across the life of the case to resolve the complaint without the need for a hearing.

If a case cannot be resolved without a hearing, the often slow-moving process, whilst frustrating can be often be put to good use!

Even where a hearing is imminent – getting specialist and targeted advice even ‘late in the day’ with little time available, can often have a significant impact on the outcome of the case!

That is why getting specialist legal advice can be so important – whatever the stage the case is at – whether time is short or long…..