Standards of Care in Podiatry: What Courts Expect from Expert Witness Reports
Over 40% of podiatry expert witness reports reviewed failed to adequately address the Bolam standard or provide a structured causation analysis.
Context
To evaluate the quality and completeness of podiatry expert witness reports submitted in clinical negligence proceedings in England and Wales.
Outcomes included:
- Adherence to CPR Part 35 requirements
- Bolam standard application
- Causation analysis quality
- Report structure and clarity scores
Methods
- Systematic review of 48 podiatry expert witness reports from clinical negligence cases (2018–2024).
- Reports assessed against CPR Part 35, the Ikarian Reefer principles and NICE clinical guidelines.
- Blinded scoring by two independent legal and clinical reviewers.
- Deficiency categories coded and analysed thematically.
Outcome measures:
CPR Part 35 compliance score; Bolam standard application (yes/no); causation analysis completeness (0–10 scale).
Results
- 42% of reports failed to apply the Bolam standard correctly.
- Only 31% included a structured causation analysis linking breach to harm.
- Mean CPR Part 35 compliance score: 6.1/10 across all reports reviewed.
Reference
Peak Practice Consultancy (2026). Expert witness standards in podiatry negligence claims: a systematic review. Medico-Legal Journal of Podiatric Practice, 2(1), 4–11.
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