Complaints policy

1. Our approach to complaints

Medical Expert Chambers is committed to providing a high-quality medico-legal service to solicitors, courts, tribunals and other legal professionals across the United Kingdom. We recognise that, on occasion, concerns or complaints may arise about the service we provide.

We take all complaints seriously and use them as an opportunity to review cases, address any issues and improve how we work with instructing parties, experts and other stakeholders.

2. Scope of this policy

This Complaints Policy applies to complaints about:

• our administration of medico-legal instructions and case management;
• our communication with instructing solicitors, experts and other parties;
• delays, missed deadlines or procedural issues in handling your instruction;
• the conduct of experts instructed through Medical Experts Chamber, where this relates to the medico-legal service we coordinate.

It does not replace any professional or regulatory complaints processes that may apply to individual experts, legal representatives or healthcare providers.

3. Who we are

Medical Experts Chamber (referred to in this policy as “we”, “us” or “our”) is a medico-legal organisation that coordinates expert witness and related services for legal professionals across the UK.

Our role typically includes matching instructions to appropriate experts, managing appointments and reports, and supporting the smooth progression of medico-legal cases.

4. How to raise a complaint

If you wish to raise a concern or complaint about our service, we encourage you to contact us as soon as possible so that we can look into the matter promptly.

In most cases, complaints should be submitted in writing, for example by email or letter, so that we have a clear record of your concerns and the cases involved.

Wherever possible, please address your complaint to our designated complaints contact, whose details are provided in the “Contact details and review” section below.

5. Information we ask you to provide

To help us investigate your complaint efficiently, it is helpful if you can provide:

• your name, role and organisation (for example, instructing solicitor or expert);
• your preferred contact details;
• the case reference, client initials or other identifiers used in our correspondence;
• a clear description of your concerns, including relevant dates and events;
• copies of any key correspondence you wish us to consider.

Please do not include more personal or case-sensitive information than is necessary for us to understand and address your complaint.

6. How we handle complaints

We aim to deal with complaints in a fair, consistent and timely manner. In general, our process will include:

• Acknowledgement: we will normally acknowledge receipt of your complaint within a reasonable period of time, confirming who will be handling it.
• Review and investigation: we will review the relevant case documents, correspondence and, where appropriate, discuss the matter with any staff or experts involved.
• Response: we will provide a written response setting out our findings, any steps we have taken or propose to take, and, where appropriate, any learning or changes arising from your complaint.

Where possible, we will aim to respond within a timeframe that is reasonable for the complexity of the issues raised. If we need longer to investigate, we will explain why and provide an updated timescale.

7. Confidentiality and data protection

We handle complaints in line with our duties of confidentiality and UK data protection law. Information you provide as part of a complaint will be:

• used only for the purposes of reviewing and responding to your complaint;
• shared internally on a need-to-know basis with staff involved in the review;
• retained for a period that is consistent with our case management and regulatory obligations.

For more detail on how we handle personal data, please see our Privacy Policy .

8. Complaints about experts and reports

Where a complaint relates to the conduct of an expert or the content of a medico-legal report coordinated through Medical Experts Chamber, we will:

• review the issues you have raised and the case documentation;
• discuss the matter with the expert where appropriate;
• consider whether any clarification, addendum or corrective action is required.

In some cases, complaints about an expert’s professional conduct or clinical practice may also need to be considered under that expert’s own regulatory or employer procedures. Where relevant, we may signpost you to those processes.

9. Legal, clinical and regulatory issues

Our Complaints Policy does not provide a route for challenging court decisions, legal advice given by your own representatives, or clinical decisions made by treating healthcare providers.

Those matters may need to be addressed through separate legal, regulatory or complaints processes, for example with the relevant court, regulator, NHS body or professional organisation.

10. Escalation and external bodies

If you remain dissatisfied after we have completed our internal review, you may wish to seek independent advice about any further steps available. This could include taking advice from your professional body, regulator or legal adviser.

The most appropriate escalation route will depend on the nature of the complaint, the parties involved and any applicable contractual or regulatory frameworks.

11. Monitoring and learning from complaints

We record and review complaints periodically in order to identify any recurring themes, risks or learning points. This helps us to:

• improve our processes for managing medico-legal instructions;
• enhance communication with instructing parties and experts;
• inform training and guidance for our team.

12. Contact details and review of this policy

If you have a complaint about our medico-legal services or this Complaints Policy, please contact:

Email: privacy@medicalexpertchambers.co.uk
Postal: Complaints, Medical Experts Chamber Ltd,
Abacus Court, Harborne, Birmingham B17 0HH, UK

Last updated: 04/12/2025