General surgery medico-legal reports
Independent general surgery reports from GMC-registered consultant surgeons, covering abdominal, hernia, gallbladder, bowel and other general surgical injury and negligence, each prepared to CPR Part 35 and Practice Direction 35 standards for courts across England and Wales.
General surgery covers a wide field, and it turns up in claims whenever something goes wrong in the abdomen or the operating theatre. A delayed diagnosis of appendicitis or bowel cancer, a swab or instrument left inside after an operation, a hernia repair that fails or damages the bowel, a gallbladder removal that injures the bile duct, or blunt and penetrating abdominal trauma after a road accident or assault. Expert Medical Examination arranges independent reports from GMC-registered consultant general surgeons who examine the claimant, review the records and set out diagnosis, medical causation and prognosis for the court. The surgeon addresses what happened, why it happened, and what the claimant faces next.
Solicitors instruct general surgery experts for both personal injury and clinical negligence claims, and insurers rely on the same independent evidence when they value or defend a case. The report is written for the court, not for either side. It records the surgical history, examines the claimant, and gives an opinion on diagnosis, medical causation and prognosis, separating the effects of the incident from any pre-existing condition and from the normal risks that surgery carries. Each report is prepared to CPR Part 35 and Practice Direction 35, and the surgeon's overriding duty is owed to the court rather than to the party who instructs. We provide the medical evidence; legal advice and the running of the claim stay with the instructing team.
Consultant-level opinion on the register
General surgery is a consultant specialty, so the opinion needs to come from someone who operates in the field. We match each instruction to a consultant general surgeon on the GMC Specialist Register, a clinician who assesses and treats these conditions in their own practice. That standing carries weight when the report is read, tested in a joint statement, or put to the surgeon in the witness box.
Causation set out clearly
Much of a surgical claim turns on causation. Not every poor outcome follows from a mistake, since some complications are recognised risks even when the surgery is done well. The report separates the consequences of the incident or the alleged negligence from any pre-existing disease and from the ordinary risks a competent surgeon accepts. That distinction gives the court a clear medical basis on which to decide the claim.
Grounded in the operative record
A surgical opinion is only as good as the material behind it. The consultant reviews the operative notes, the histology, the imaging and the GP and hospital records alongside examining the claimant, so the findings rest on what was actually done in theatre rather than on the account alone. Where scarring or a lasting functional loss remains, the report describes it and gives a view on how it is likely to settle.
Surgical evidence the court can weigh
A general surgery claim rests on a clear account of what the surgery involved, what went wrong, and what it means for the claimant. We arrange that evidence from a consultant on the GMC Specialist Register, prepared to CPR Part 35, so the instructing team can build the claim on an opinion that holds up.
- Abdominal injury and blunt trauma reports
- Hernia repair injury and complication reports
- Gallbladder surgery and bile duct injury reports
- Bowel and colorectal surgery complication reports
- Appendicitis and delayed diagnosis reports
- Retained swab and instrument reports
- Post-operative infection and complication reports
- Surgical scarring and functional outcome reports
- Breach of duty and causation reports for clinical negligence claims
- Oral evidence and Part 35 question responses where required
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