Member of the Academy of Experts and the Federation of Forensic & Expert Witnesses and former President of the Warwickshire Medicolegal Society, Mr Matthews has great experience in preparing independent Medical Reports for Solicitors for Clients who have suffered Personal Injury, often accepting instruction on a Single Joint Expert basis. His specialist field includes all Scarring (from top to toe, all ages from 3 upwards), Burns & Scalds and non-bony Hand Injury, including tendon & nerve damage.

Personal Injury

Issues associated with:

• All soft tissue injuries of the upper limb and hand
• Soft tissue injuries of the face
• Soft tissue injuries of the body
• soft tissue injuries of the lower limb
• Scarring
• Burns, Scalds and thermal injuries
• Skin Grafts and Flaps

Clinical Negligence (Condition & Prognosis only)

Issues associated with:

• Soft tissue damage from trauma, including burns, scalds & thermal injuries
• Soft tissue damage from disease
• Tissue loss &/or scarring arising from medical or surgical actions
• General Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

Professional Memberships:

• Member of the Royal College of Surgeons of England
• Member of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
• Member of the Federation of Forensic & Expert Witnesses
• Member of the Academy of Experts
• Member of the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgeons
• Member of the British Society for Surgery of the Hand
• Member of the British Burn Association
• Past President of the Warwickshire Medicolegal Society
• On the UK Register of Expert Witnesses
• On the GMC Specialty Register for Plastic Surgery

Profile & Medico-Legal Experience

Mr Richard Matthews has over 30 years experience as an Expert Witness in his specialist fields, preparing on average 60 Medicolegal Reports a year, 47.5% instructed by the Claimant’s Solicitor, 47.5% by the Defendant’s Solicitor and 5% as a Single Joint Expert.  He produces timely, high quality medicolegal reports with colour photographs in cases involving Personal Injury and on Condition & Prognosis (only) in alleged cases of Clinical Negligence.

Mr Matthews undertakes annual appraisals and was revalidated by the General Medical Council in 2023.  Satisfying these requires keeping up to date, completion of mandatory training, maintaining high standards and undertaking peer and client review.

Mr Matthews is highly experienced in Burns, Reconstructive Plastic and Hand Surgery.  He qualified at St Thomas’ Hospital in London before training widely in General and Paediatric Surgery and in Urology.  He then specialised in Plastic Surgery, progressing through 5 Regional Centres for Burns and Plastic Surgery.  This included 2 years as Burns Research Fellow at East Grinstead during which he had notable papers published on Burns in Pregnancy and the use of amniotic membranes for wound healing.

He became fully accredited in Plastic Surgery, including cosmetic and reconstructive aspects in 1984, was European Travelling Scholar of the British Association of Plastic Surgeons (now called BAPRAS) in 1985 and was appointed Consultant Plastic Surgeon in the National Health Service for Coventry & Warwickshire (catchment 1.3 million) in 1986.

He is highly experienced in the management of Soft Tissue Trauma, including Burns, Scalds and Hand Injuries and of Scarring, as well as the broad range of conditions and elective surgery covered by the specialty.

From 1986 to 2006, when, as Director of the Unit, he effected its transfer to the new University Hospitals of Coventry & Warwickshire, he radically modernised and expanded the Plastic Surgery Unit, introducing modern techniques and services for congenital abnormalities, such as cleft lip and palate and abnormal hands, for soft tissue diseases of the hand, such as Dupuytren’s Contracture, for Breast Reconstruction and Head and Neck Reconstruction in cancer cases, including microsurgical procedures, and worked hard to improve standards of care for skin cancer.  He served for four years as the first Chair of the Skin Cancer Site Specific Group of the Arden Skin Cancer Network.

Mr Matthews has been West Midlands Regional Chair for Burns & Plastic Surgery and Regional Specialty Advisor to the Royal College of Surgeons of England and has served variously as Clinical and Medical Director within the NHS.

As a volunteer during the Covid-19 pandemic he administered over 11,700 vaccinations.

CONTACT

Phone: 01926 436 339
Email: Charlotte.Jones4@nuffieldhealth.com
Website: www.richardmatthewsmedicolegal.uk 

CLINIC

The Nuffield Heath Warwickshire Hospital
Old Milverton Lane
Leamington Spa
Warwickshire
CV32 6RW