Clinical Negligence & Healthcare

Overview

Deka Chambers offers strength and depth as one of the largest, specialist Clinical Negligence and Healthcare teams in the sector, with vast experience from a Claimant and Defendant perspective.

With an array of leading silks, leading juniors and rising stars, Deka is a market leader in the clinical negligence and healthcare sector.

Members have appeared in some of the most significant clinical negligence cases both in terms of value but also precedent making cases testing the boundaries of the law.

Deka Chambers, as a team and as individuals, are consistently recognised as leaders in this field. The team is praised for our approachability and friendliness, combined with its ‘top quality clinical negligence practitioners with skills to suit a variety of cases’ and their ‘broad range of experience amongst counsel which they share by their co-operation with each other’. Indeed clients note it is a brilliant set to work with”.

Our team covers all aspects of Clinical Negligence and Healthcare work including large, multi-party actions, fatal accidents, birth injury case, delays in diagnosis, organ retention, cervical screening, human growth hormone, cardiac surgery, dental, orthopaedic and ophthalmic claims, plastic surgery, high value spinal and brain injuries, complex quantum issues (both at trial and at settlement stage) professional disciplinary tribunals, GDC regulatory cases and complex issues of limitation and consent.

Every member is committed to providing the best possible service to professional and lay clients alike. Our members pride themselves in being utterly committed, friendly, calm and always prepared. They put witnesses at ease and are skilled at getting to the root of issues with experts. Without egos, we achieve the best outcomes with our attention to detail and clear and confident advice.

The Clinical Negligence and Healthcare team at Deka Chambers have outstanding and fearless trial advocates. Our advocates maintain significant experience in trial and appellate advocacy, which provides strategic insight and advice so that the best approach to a specific case can always be found.

A number of Members of Chambers contribute to publications including Kemp and Kemp and the Judicial College Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases.

Clinical Negligence & Healthcare Expertise

Notable Cases

  • Paul v Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust [2022] EWCA Civ 12; [2022] 2 WLR 917 [2024] 2 WLR 417
  • Hopkins (A Child) v Akramy [2020] EWHC 3445 (QB); [2021] 2 W.L.R 893
  • Wilkins v University Hospital North Midlands NHS Trust [2021] EWHC 2164 (QB)
  • Pawley v Whitecross Dental Care Ltd [2021] EWCA Civ 1827
  • XX v Whittington Hospital [2020] UKSC 14
  • Barclays Bank Plc v Various Claimants [2020] UKSC 13
  • Sanderson v Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust [2020] EWHC 20 (QB)
  • Buckley v Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust [2019] 4 EWHC 1493 (QB)
  • Diamond v Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust [2019] EWCA Civ 585
  • Brayshaw v Partners of Apsley Surgery [2018] EWHC 3286 (QB), [2019] 2 All ER 997; [2019] EWHC 889 (QB)
  • Barnett v Medway NHS Trust [2017] EWCA Civ 235
  • Spire Healthcare Ltd v Brooke [2016] EWHC 2828 (QB)
  • Daniel v St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust and London Ambulance Service [2016] EWHC 23 (QB)
  • Tait v Gloucester Hospitals NHS Trust [2015] EWHC 848
  • Griffiths v Secretary of State for Health [2015] EWHC 1264 (QB)
  • Mullholland v Medway NHS Foundation Trust [2015] EWHC 268 (QB); (2015) 144 BMLP 50
  • Symes v St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust [2014] EWHC 2505 (QB)
  • Peters v East Midlands SHA [2009] EWCA Civ 145
  • Peter v (1) East Midlands SHA (2) Nottingham City Council [2008] EWHC 778 (QB)
  • JD v East Berkshire Community Health [2005] 2 AC 373

Awards

The Deka set of clinical negligence lawyers are all of high quality and have a wide breadth of experience. I always know that my cases are in safe hands when i instruct them.

Legal 500 2025

Excellent set, wide range of barristers with varied experience across clinical negligence cases.

Legal 500 2025

Deka are one of the very leading sets. They are a very able group and clearly benefit from knowledge sharing and collaboration.

Legal 500 2025

A great spread of really good barristers at all levels. Good availability. Excellent news letters, case law updates and seminars.

Legal 500 2025

Excellent communication and good range and availability of Counsel.

Legal 500 2025

Michael Goodridge runs a tight ship. Great to work and understanding the commercial realities. Individually the clerks as a whole have been excellent.

Legal 500 2025

Exceptionally good and always work with me to achieve what we need to do. Clark Chessis has been an exceptionally good senior clerk.

Legal 500 2025

The clerks, Philip Austin in particular, are very helpful and responsive.

Chambers and Partners 2025

The clerks are very responsive.

Chambers and Partners 2025

Working with Deka Chambers could not be easier due to the high level of service provided by their clerks.

Chambers and Partners 2025

The clerks are very helpful and very quick to reply.

Chambers and Patners 2025

Deka Chambers has huge strength-in-depth from its silks to its juniors.

Legal 500

Deka Chambers has a plethora of knowledgeable barristers covering a wide range of case types/issues. There is always somebody that can help.

Legal 500

Deka Chambers has an extensive group of barristers in the field of personal injury and clinical negligence, from newly qualified to senior KCs. They have considerable strength-in-depth.

Legal 500

Clinical Negligence & Healthcare Barristers

King's Counsel

Jacob Levy KC

Call 1986 | Silk 2014

Simon Readhead KC

Call 1979 | Silk 2006

Edward Bishop KC

Call 1985 | Silk 2011

Stuart McKechnie KC

Call 1997 | Silk 2018

Giles Mooney KC

Call 1998 | Silk 2019

Laura Johnson KC

Call 2001 | Silk 2022

Paul Stagg KC

Call 1994 | Silk 2024

Edward Lamb KC

Call 2006 | Silk 2024

Juniors (15 years +)

Roger Hiorns

Call 1983

Bruce Silvester

Call 1983

Gaurang Naik

Call 1985

Stephen Glynn

Call 1990

Angus Piper

Call 1991

Cyrus Katrak

Call 1991

Jeremy Crowther

Call 1991

Laura Begley

Call 1993

David Thomson

Call 1994

Laura Elfield

Call 1996

Simon Butler

Call 1996

Johnathan Payne

Call 1997

Simon Brindle

Call 1998

Perrin Gibbons

Call 1998

Robert Horner

Call 1999

Linda Nelson

Call 2000

Dr Russell Wilcox

Call 2000

Adam Dawson

Call 2000

Simon Trigger

Call 2000

Sabrina Hartshorn

Call 2001

Gurion Taussig

Call 2001

Christopher Lowe

Call 2001

Ben Hicks

Call 2001

Esther Pounder

Call 2003

Hugh Rimmer

Call 2003

Abigail Stamp

Call 2004

Ian Clarke

Call 2005

Lisa Dobie

Call 2006

James Byrne

Call 2006

Ben Rodgers

Call 2007

Juniors

Holly Tibbitts

Call 2010

Tom Collins

Call 2010

William Dean

Call 2011

Helen Pooley

Call 2012

Ella Davis

Call 2013

John Schmitt

Call 2013

Laura Hibberd

Call 2013

Kerry Nicholson

Call 2015

Thomas Jones

Call 2015

Dominique Smith

Call 2016

Susanna Bennett

Call 2017

Thomas Yarrow

Call 2018

Lucy Lodewyke

Call 2018

Francesca Kolar

Call 2018

Amelia Katz

Call 2018

Anirudh Mandagere

Call 2019

Thomas Clarke

Call 2022

Pupils

Directors

Michael Goodridge

Director of Clerking & Business Development

Senior Clerks

Clark Chessis

Senior Clerk

David Barrow

Joint Deputy Senior Clerk

Jaime Brooks

Joint Deputy Senior Clerk

Practice Managers

Ellie Brand

Practice Manager

Phillip Austin

Practice Manager

Assistant Practice Managers

Matthew Shepherd

Assistant Practice Manager

Jamie Moylan

Assistant Practice Manager

George Housden

Assistant Practice Manager

Jay Levell

Assistant Practice Manager

Junior Clerks

Ronnie Scarlett

Junior Clerk

Lily Mason

Junior Clerk

Latest News & Events

Andrew Warnock KC and Edwin Buckett successfully defend the Chief Constable of Leicestershire in a £10m brain damage claim

Following a 5-day liability trial in the High Court in Manchester, the Claimant’s negligence and Human Rights Act claims were dismissed by HHJ Bird sitting as a Judge of the High Court. The Claimant was a Type 1 diabetic who suffered from a history of…

Francesca Kolar interviewed by The Advocacy Tutor

Francesca Kolar was interviewed by Sonia Simms for The Advocacy Tutor Brief. Spotlight on Francesca Kolar Francesca Kolar was called to the Bar in 2018. She is an experienced barrister practising across civil, criminal, family, clinical negligence, and police law. She appears regularly in the County…

Deka Briefing: Best Evidence

Welcome to the Deka Chambers January Briefing where we draw once again upon our multi-disciplinary expertise to deliver a series of articles which examine key themes in litigation. For this edition we consider Best Evidence. Success at trial is often as much about enabling clients…

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Deka Chambers: 5 Norwich Street, London EC4A 1DR

© Deka Chambers 2025

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