Law Society notices

Clinical negligence panel - an update of mandatory training requirementsFrom Paul McCarthy, chief assessor to the Law Society clinical negligence panel: the Law Society has considered the training criteria in respect of clinical negligence panel applicants in respect of initial applications and re-accreditation.

The Society has resolved that:l The requirement that an applicant should have attended at least one major conference on clinical negligence in the three years prior to an application be removed from the training criteria;l Applicants should undertake 20 hours' training, with not less than 12 hours dedicated to medical issues in the three years prior to an application;l Panel members be required to undertake 10 hours' training per year in order to be eligible for re-accreditation to the clinical negligence panel;l Where exceptional circumstances apply, for example, maternity leave, long illness, unemployment or sabbatical for a period not exceeding 12 months during the three years preceding the application or during the five years of panel membership, if the applicant is not able to satisfy the training criteria he or she may apply for a dispensation in respect of those training requirements.

Whether or not the dispensation will be granted is in the discretion of the assessor, subject to the rights of appeal.The re-accreditation procedure will commence in January 2001.

The Law Society will be writing to all members of the panel who are scheduled for re-accreditation.