Hill Dickinson LLP

Health Commercial

Partner

Emma is the head of Hill Dickinson’s North West Health Commercial and Regulatory Team and leads a team of individuals across Hill Dickinson’s Liverpool and Manchester offices. She has a wealth of experience of providing legal advice and support to health sector organisations, including national public bodies such as NHS England, the Care Quality Commission and (prior to their merger with NHS England) Health Education England and NHS Digital. The majority of Emma’s work is for public health sector clients.

Emma has represented and advised clients in a number of high profile public inquiries and investigations including:

Representing the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in the Thirlwall Inquiry – set up to examine events at the Countess of Chester Hospital and their implications following the trial, and subsequent convictions, of former neonatal nurse Lucy Letby of murder and attempted murder of babies at the hospital during 2015 and 2016. Emma is named as the Trust’s Recognised Legal Representative and the Trust is designated as a core participant in the Inquiry. Representing the West Midlands Strategic Health Authority in the Mid Staffordshire Inquiry; Advising clients involved in the Infected Blood Inquiry; Advising the University of Salford in the Manchester Arena Inquiry; Advising NHS clients on highly publicised investigations and enquiries into neonatal and maternity services and deaths including: Advising the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS FT in relation to the Morecambe Bay Investigation; Advising Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust in relation to the Ockenden Review; Advising NHS England in relation to the independent review of maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Emma advises clients on all aspects of corporate governance, information governance and regulatory matters, and advises NHS and other public sector bodies across the North West (including local authorities) on governance, regulatory, public law and patient and public consultation issues arising from the coming into force of the Health and Care Act 2022, and the development and operation of integrated care systems. Emma advises on the establishment and development of partnership and collaborative working models, including NHS group models, at place and system level across Cheshire and Merseyside and Greater Manchester, advising on the statutory powers and duties of each partner organisation in the system and on the establishment of committee structures and joint committees.

Emma has previously advised on the governance and regulatory aspects of two significant NHS Trust statutory acquisitions in the North West and is now advising other Trusts in the North West on group models and other models of integration, and advising NHS England on a number of NHS merger/acquisition processes.

Emma advises on information governance within the health sector and has significant experience and expertise in the interpretation and application of the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Emma has represented clients for many years in judicial review proceedings before the High Court involving challenges to decisions made by public bodies on the basis of allegations of inadequate public consultation, failures to comply with equality legislation, failures to comply with statutory duties and powers, and breaches of the Human Rights Act.

French (basic)

Liverpool Law Society.

Victoria Community High School 1988 – 1993

Malbank Sixth Form College 1993 - 1995

University of Leicester LLB Hons Law with French Law and Language 1995 – 1999

University of Strasbourg - Diplome d’Etudes Juridiques Francaises 1997 – 1998

College of Law, York Legal Practice Course 1999 - 2000

Emma leads a team of lawyers who specialise in many niche areas of practice within the healthcare sector and is committed to developing the team and new members of the team, including trainees, to become all-round healthcare lawyers, but with specialist expertise in focussed areas where there is client need.

Emma works flexible hours, part-time, so as to work around the needs of both work and family life.  She is proud to have grown her career to become a senior partner whilst juggling family life. That framework is implemented across her team with flexible working the norm.