Healthcare (Acting for the Professional)

Simon is well equipped to deal with difficult disciplinary proceedings concerning healthcare professionals.

Since 2017, Simon has acted as an independent case examiner within the fitness to practise directorate at the General Optical Council.  Working alongside a Registrant case examiner, Simon considers allegations against both individuals and business registrants and determines (among other things) whether there is a realistic prospect that the registrant’s fitness to practise is impaired.  He has issued decisions in well over a hundred such cases.

More recently, Simon acted as an independent case examiner, doing similar work, at the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Simon holds a number of judicial roles in other relevant sectors, which apply similar principles to the professional healthcare regulators.  In the world of business: he is appointed to sit as a legal chair of the adjudication panel for the UK regulator of the phone-paid services (the PSA); and he sits as an independent member of the equivalent panel for one of the leading global accountancy and audit bodies (ACCA).  In the world of sport: he is appointed as a legal chair for the Judicial Panel at the Football Association, in relation to both on-field and off-field allegations of misconduct; he is appointed in an equivalent role for British Cycling; and has presided over hearings of a similar panel at England Boxing.  He also sits as a Deputy District Judge.

In addition, Simon frequently represents clients in complex multi-day employment tribunals.  He has substantial experience advising and representing both claimants and respondent organisations, including those within the healthcare sector, in claims which centre on allegations of professional misconduct and capability.

Simon also has considerable experience advising and acting on matters relating to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Simon was appointed Junior Counsel to the Crown in 2015 on the Attorney General’s regional civil panel for a period of five years and reappointed in 2020.  As such, in addition to his broader practice, he regularly advises and represents major government departments and ministers.  He also has substantial experience working with local authorities and with business more generally.

More broadly, Simon brings substantial experience from his wider work and earlier career.  He is a Non-Executive Director for an NHS trust and the chair of its Workforce & Equality Committee.  After graduating with a 1st class degree from Cambridge, he spent a year in one of the Prime Minister’s units (looking at public service reform) before working at a leading management consultancy (for healthcare clients).  He went on to be the head of communications for the UK healthcare sector within a global professional services firm – a role which included responsibility for clients such as the Department of Health, an extensive range of NHS trusts and private healthcare organisations.