Medico Legal Expert Witness Opinion
Expert Reports Procedural Structure.
Reports are to a regulatory standard and are fully referenced.
The following documents are read, if available, including:
* All witness statements.
* Medical notes from accident and emergency units if applicable.
* Hospital notes if the defendant has been admitted.
* Closed circuit television if available
* Records made by Forensic Medical Examiners.
* The defendant’s proof of evidence.
* Counsel’s written advice (if available).
* A case summary (if available).
* Custody records.
* GP records.
* Correspondence between the GP and other medical services such as hospitals, mental health trusts and drug agencies.
* Unused bundle.
In cases including medicinal products, Dr VandenBurg refers to:
* Standard text books.
* The Summary of Product Characteristics, which is a document written by the manufacturer and approved by the MHRA (the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency).
* The Physician’s Desk Reference. The PDR is a document written by the manufacturers in conjunction with the Federal Drugs Administration in the US and is referred to as product labelling.
* Martindale. Martindale is published by the British Pharmaceutical Society and is the standard text to which all doctors should refer.
* Other text books as appropriate.
* Reports of adverse events to the MHRA (the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency).
* In appropriate cases, the individual medical reports to the MHRA are sourced.
* The product licence holder is contacted to search their Worldwide Safety Database and ask for any literature on file.
* Dr VandenBurg also performs his own literature searches at the Library of The National Institute of Health through their search engine PubMed.
In matters involving illegal substances Dr VandenBurg refers to:
* His extensive knowledge and practical experience formed in clinical practice and as a medical advisor to Release, the drug assistance organisation.
* Standard text books.
* Martindale. Martindale is published by the British Pharmaceutical Society and is the standard text to which all doctors should refer.
* Other text books as appropriate.
* Dr VandenBurg also performs his own literature searches at the Library of The National Institute of Health through their search engine PubMed.
* His extensive publications library and literature searches.
* Contact with Drugscope for their current information
To give a general medical opinion Dr VandenBurg uses his considerable experience of general internal medicine gained at St Bartholomew’s and the Royal London Hospital.
Dr VandenBurg has had training in:
* Respiratory medicine
* Gastro intestinal medicine
* Sexual health
* Rheumatology
* Respiratory medicine
* Neurology
Specialist training in:
* General medicine
* Cardiology
* Nephrology.