Georgia Ford
Partner
Georgia is a Partner in the Inquests and Healthcare Advisory teams. Georgia has over 10 years’ experience advising public, private and third sector healthcare organisations. This includes provider organisations, such as NHS acute and mental health trusts, and commissioners, in addition to private healthcare providers and charitable service providers. She provides practical, commercial advice to clients on both contentious and non-contentious matters, and is acutely aware of the challenges faced by healthcare organisations and their staff in today’s market of increased litigation and regulation.
Georgia advises on a range of healthcare law matters including:
Inquests
Georgia has significant experience advising on and representing clients at complex inquests, which a particular focus on mental health and deaths in custody. Georgia is an experienced advocate providing high quality, understanding support to professionals called to give evidence in what can be high profile hearings. Georgia has been involved in many long-running inquests, such as the Sean Rigg inquest.
Judicial review
Georgia regularly acts for public and insurer sector clients in the pre-action, permission and substantive stages of judicial review. She is frequently instructed by defendant NHS bodies subject to challenge in relation to the adoption of policies and decision-making around continuing healthcare, individual funding requests, bed-blocking and charging of overseas visitors for NHS healthcare. She has also acted for the claimant in judicial review of a professional regulatory body’s guidance and of a commissioner’s procurement of orthodontic services.
Consent to treatment
Georgia has extensive experience of making applications to the Court of Protection for acute and mental health trusts and commissioners. She has been involved in a variety of long-running continuing healthcare cases as well as applications for serious medical treatment and urgent medical cases.
Mental health and mental capacity legislation
Georgia has significant experience of advising healthcare organisations on the use and implementation of the Mental Capacity Act and the Mental Health Act.
Health and safety prosecutions
Georgia supports clients during police and Health and Safety Executive investigations and interviews and represents organisations at Magistrates and Crown Courts if prosecutions ensue.
Notable cases
- Brennan v South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust [2015] EWHC 1823 (Admin)
- R(P) v General Dental Council [2016] EWHC 3181 (Admin)
- Inquest touching the death of Sean Rigg
- Savage v South Essex Partnership NHS Trust [2007] EWCA Civ 1375
Qualifications
- BA Hons (Econ) Manchester
- GDL and LPC BPP Law School
