Your challenges
The challenges facing commissioners in the cash-strapped NHS have never been greater. With budgets diminishing daily in real terms but the NHS being expected to cater comprehensively for an increasingly well-informed and demanding patient population, it is more critical than ever that you have robust policies in place to address all aspects of patient provision.
Achieving your ambitions
Whatever your commissioning dilemma, short of actually increasing your budget, we can help! We will work with you to understand the particular challenges posed by your local population and geographical location and to help you review your policy provision to ensure that your legal risk is minimised.
We have a wealth of experience with which to assist you. Whether you need advice in drawing up those initial commissioning policies, running your individual funding request process, or defending your policies or decisions against judicial review, our knowledge and practice is at your disposal. Alongside substantive advice, we will tailor training and workshops for your staff and board to ensure they are fully informed and supported.
The strength you need
We can offer you a team of three partners (one of whom sits as a lay member of a PCT Exceptional Cases Panel) and over six solicitors specialising in this demanding and complex area of law. Our niche priorities team sits at the heart of a large and specialised health team based across four of our offices, available to service your every legal need 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The NHS never stops and neither do we!
We have just successfully warded off challenges, at common law and under Articles 6 and 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, to a PCT's refusal to fund bariatric surgery under the individual funding request process.
Lawyers you can trust
We are one of the UK's leading advisers to the NHS, acting for more than 100 NHS trusts and other health bodies. Existing clients rate us as a “valuable and effective partner” with a “very good understanding of the business context” providing “quality advice at reasonable rates”.
Of the 2011 bariatric surgery litigation, our client said: "Thanks for your expert handling of the case. We couldn't have been in safer hands."
The Legal 500 has rated us as a first tier firm for health. They have said: "Mills & Reeve LLP has a ‘professional yet personable offering providing comprehensive advice’", "Jill Mason's team is the top choice for health: whatever you need, they will be able to help" and "response times are remarkable and the acumen and knowledge excellent". We provide an "impressive service" to clients, being "responsive and creative".
We look forward to working with you, whatever your legal needs.