Caron Heyes

Information about the specialist

caron.heyes@fieldfisher.com

Career

I am a Director in Fieldfisher's Medical Negligence team in our central London office. I'm highly experienced in bringing claims for children left catastrophically injured as a result of medical negligence at birth or injured by substandard treatment by neonatal and paediatric doctors. I also bring a range of cases for adults where there have been errors in GP, medical or surgical treatment, and cases whether errors have led to the deaths of patients. I also represent families at Inquest.

In the course of my work, I meet extraordinary people and see my clients give everything to their loved ones to improve their lives following injury. My role is to ensure everything possible is done to obtain answers and financial security via the litigation process.

My expertise is recognised by my rating in Chambers and Partners as a Star Associate. I am also rated as a key team member in the Legal 500, in addition to my memberships of the AvMA, and the Law Society, Clinical Negligence panels.

In 2022, I set up a pro bono project at Fieldfisher in partnership with Mencap, "Rachel's Voice", to tackle the healthcare inequality faced by many of our clients when they need routine treatment. Healthcare inequality is a day-by-day, hour-by-hour reality for all my clients who also have a learning disability.

Our pro bono advisory project, Rachel's Voice, offers legal support to families of people with learning disability who have died following medical treatment in hospital. The aim is to find out why they died and preventing similar failings from reoccurring.

Our advocacy can help pinpoint how far a learning disability and/or physical disability played a part in causing the death. Rachel's Voice and Mencap then use that knowledge to engender change and continue our work to end healthcare inequality. Watch a video about our work here: Publications - Rachel's Voice (rachelsvoice.org.uk)

I am a member of APIL and the joint chair of APIL's Child SIG. I sit on the editorial board of the Journal of Personal Injury Law (JPIL). I speak at training sessions for lawyers and on expert panels. I regularly comment in the national press on high-profile cases with wide public interest, including BBC news programmes and London ITV News. I work with key grass roots organisations like Abigails Footsteps to help them promote patient safety, especially around maternity care.

I am a strong supporter of Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA), having volunteered with them working on their Inquest Project and the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry, where AvMA was a Core participant. I am proud to be a member of their Clinical Negligence panel showing my expertise and specialism in this field.