Medicine
Haematology expert witnesses
Listed haematology expert witnesses address blood disorders, coagulation, transfusion practice and haematological malignancy. Anticoagulation and thrombosis questions form a large part of the medico-legal work.
01
The evidence
What a haematology expert witness is asked to determine
Haematology evidence is laboratory-led but rarely laboratory-only. Full blood counts, coagulation studies, transfusion records and prescribing charts have to be read against the clinical picture recorded at the same time. Where a delayed diagnosis is alleged, the earliest abnormal count and what was done about it usually mark the point from which the argument runs.
- Whether an abnormal blood result was recognised, repeated and acted upon.
- Whether thromboprophylaxis was assessed and prescribed as the risk assessment required.
- Whether anticoagulation was dosed, monitored and reversed appropriately.
- Whether transfusion practice, including consent and compatibility checking, met the expected standard.
- What difference earlier diagnosis of a haematological malignancy would probably have made.
Practitioners are listed across all four UK nations. Location can be narrowed in the register’s location listings before an instruction is made.
Claim contexts
Claims that instruct this discipline
These links describe the question haematology evidence can answer. They do not prescribe the scope of an individual instruction.
Clinical negligence claims
Anticoagulation, transfusion and the investigation of blood disorders.
View claim type → 02Personal injury claims
Thrombosis and bleeding complications following injury or surgery.
View claim type → 03Inquests
Haematological evidence where a death is being investigated.
View claim type →Search the register by the discipline used in the instruction.
See haematology listingsReport routes
Reports prepared
Laboratory and prescribing records support a records review report. A breach and causation report addresses whether the identified failing made a difference.
Where malignancy and delay are in issue, oncology evidence is normally required as well. The report pages state what each of those routes contains.
Haematology expert witness evidence
A haematologist expert witness reads the laboratory record against the prescribing and clinical entries made at the same time.
The register lists the discipline and location; the instruction is agreed directly. See the British Society for Haematology alongside the case material.
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