Paediatric medico-legal reports

Child Protection Reports

Care and family proceedings often need an independent paediatric view of a child’s injuries or health. We provide child protection reports for these proceedings, using court-experienced consultants. You see the expert’s CV before you instruct. The report is written to the expert’s duty to the court. Experts are frequently instructed jointly.

  • Same-working-day quotation
  • CVs before you instruct
  • An expert allocated within 48 hours
Claim contextPublic law care and family proceedings
Central questionThe independent medical view of the findings
Report coversClinical and imaging findings, differential diagnosis, significance
ExpertsConsultant paediatrician, paediatric radiologist

Overview

What a child protection report is

A child protection report is an independent assessment of a child’s injuries, presentation or health where protection concerns are raised. Whether harm was inflicted is a matter for the court; the expert’s role is the independent medical view.

Paediatric records and imaging of the kind reviewed when forming an independent medical view for family proceedings
The findings are assessed independently from the medical records and, where relevant, the imaging.

What the report covers

The ground a child protection report covers

Clinical findings The independent medical assessment of the child’s presentation.
Imaging findings Where imaging is in issue, the radiological findings and their interpretation.
Differential diagnosis The medical explanations considered alongside any concern of inflicted harm.
Significance of the findings What the findings mean, left for the court to weigh.

Who produces it

The specialists on a child protection report

A consultant paediatrician produces the report, with a paediatric radiologist for fracture dating and skeletal survey interpretation where imaging is in issue.

Where it is used

Proceedings that rely on this report

Child protection reports support care proceedings and matters involving non-accidental injury, where an independent medical view is needed.

Consultant paediatrician reviewing medical records for an independent report in family proceedings
Every report is written to the expert’s duty to the court, for instructing solicitors on either side.

FAQ

Child protection reports: common questions

Frequently, as a single joint expert under FPR Part 25, with the court’s permission.

A consultant paediatrician, with a paediatric radiologist for fracture dating and skeletal survey interpretation where imaging is in issue.

In public law care proceedings under the Family Procedure Rules, usually with the court’s permission and often as a single joint expert.

Yes. Child protection reports are prepared by court-experienced consultants, with the report written to the expert’s duty to the court.

Within 48 hours of your enquiry, with the CV sent for review before you instruct.

Child protection reports

Instructing on a child protection report?

Send your case details and we will allocate a court-experienced consultant within 48 hours, with a same-working-day quotation and the CV before you instruct.