Claire qualified as a Registered Nurse (Adult) in 2002 and has extensive clinical experience within the NHS and private sector.  She began her career in the surgical directorate at Sunderland Royal Hospital NHS Trust nursing patients with vascular, colorectal, general and emergency surgical needs.  She went on to join the Integrated Critical Care Unit where she studied Intensive Care Nursing at degree level, and developed skills in the acute management of emergency presentations, traumatic orthopaedic injuries and respiratory conditions. 

She subsequently worked in a private hospital in Liverpool, bringing her critical care experience and skills to the team and assisting in training and the updating equipment and existing practices.  More recently, she undertook extra training in the nursing management of spinal injury as a Complex Community Care Nurse, while living in the Republic of Ireland, being responsible for 24-care of a ventilated patient with spinal injury at home.  She was instrumental in managing this unique and groundbreaking package of care due to her previous experience, setting high standards amongst the nursing team with a focus on enabling the patient to partake in their former activities, and return to higher education.

Claire moved back to the UK in March 2020 and worked in Intensive Care at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Trust during the Covid-19 pandemic.  She subsequently underwent training as a disability assessor for the DWP and most recently worked as a Continuing Healthcare Nurse Assessor for the NHS where she was responsible for leading multi-disciplinary meetings and making funding recommendations to Clinical Commissioning Groups via detailed reports for patients with a wide variety of care needs.

Claire has undertaken several complex medical negligence claims relating to surgery and emergency care since training as an expert witness.  She has also been instructed in cases relating to spinal injury and has been able to provide useful reports and recommendations due to her previous experience in the field. In addition to this she has undertaken several Loss of Service reports, carried out Immediate Needs Assessments and undertaken personal injury claims relating to orthopaedic injury. She has provided expert evidence for Continuing Healthcare appeals and has a useful understanding of the DWP disability assessment criteria and PIP documentation.  Claire has represented both Claimant and Defendant at a 30:70 ratio and has participated in several Conferences and Joint Discussions.  She has given evidence in court on one occasion.

Claire has undertaken comprehensive legal training and updates her practice regularly with training sessions relating to her role as an expert witness. She has a solid understanding of her duties to the court pursuant to CPR Part 35 and understands the competencies required of her and that her overriding duty is to the court.