Stephen is a specialist healthcare barrister and consultant with a proven track record of success and years of experience in regulatory defence.
He specialises in healthcare law and regulation. As a leading regulatory law barrister, he has vast experience in defending all healthcare professionals in all courts and tribunals ranging from doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals including paramedics and social workers.
- Joint Head of Kings View Chambers
- Year of call 2007
- MA in Safeguarding Adults: Law, Policy Practice (2017-2019)
- Diploma in Safeguarding Law
- Diploma in Forensic Medical Sciences (2018-2019)
- Inns of Court School of Law BVC (Outstanding)
- LLB Honours in Law (University College London)
- Former external counsel to the NMC
Practice Areas:
- Healthcare Regulation
- GMC / NMC/ HCPC/ GPhC Defence
- Care home law and care standards
- Coroners Inquests
- Regulatory and Disciplinary Tribunal
His cases have included:
- Investigations by GMC, NMC, GPhC, GDC, HCPC, CQC
- MPTS and Fitness to Practise Hearings
- NHS England investigations and tribunals
- Performer List issues
- Interim Order Representation
- Appeal Against Refusal of Registration
- Appeal Against Conditions of Practise, Suspension and Strike Off
- Restoration to the Medical Register
- Revalidation
His principles are:
- EARLY, CLEAR, DIRECT ADVICE
- FIXED FEES IN ALL CASES
Stephen’s experience includes defending and representing healthcare professionals including issues with registration, allegations made against them for poor professional competence, health issues and allegations of misconduct.
Healthcare professionals facing investigations for alleged issues relating to fitness to practise face the prospect of losing their career and having their professional reputation tarnished. Each health regulatory body has its own processes and procedures to investigating and responding to healthcare professionals’ fitness to practise. The process will often be complex and daunting for even the most experienced healthcare professionals.
Through his extensive experience, he has gained an understanding and appreciation of the complexities of these processes and the stress and upset this can cause healthcare professionals. He has obtained an excellent reputation for his approach to defending healthcare professionals before regulatory hearings.
Because Stephen is both public access and litigation trained and authorised he can take care of all the case management, preparation and liaison with the regulatory body on your behalf to minimise any unnecessary stress and upset.
When faced with the prospect of a fitness to practise investigation and hearing, early instruction of a competent legal advisor is essential to ensure the best outcome for you. His early intervention can result in your case being dropped at an early stage in the investigation by your regulatory body. If not, expert legal representation and meticulous case preparation can often result in much better outcomes for healthcare professionals than had they not been properly represented.
If you are a healthcare professional facing difficulties with your registration or ability to practise, call him today for an initial free consultation.
How Stephen can help you with your case:
As a barrister, he is an expert specialist lawyer and advocate. He advises clients on the strengths and weakness of their case with independence and objectivity. The added value to his advice is that he has specialist knowledge in these areas because he practices them every day. This knowledge covers the court room or hearing room, case presentation and case strategy which often means the difference between winning and losing.
What his clients say:
“Hi Stephen, Thanks very much for today – and indeed the last 4-weeks – you really did perform extremely well at short notice. I’m not sure if you like receiving compliments (I certainly don’t), but here goes anyway…
I’m very rarely impressed, but your general oratory and quick thinking in court are a pleasure to observe. Not once did you miss a subtle discrepancy or an opportunity to reinforce your central message, and I genuinely had confidence in you.
Thank you for everything you have done for me.”
-AM, Social Worker, HCPC Fitness to Practise Hearing
“I really do not know what to say. I managed to dig myself into a terrible hole and without your help I was going to lose my registration. Thank you so much Mr McCaffrey. You were direct, clear and got me to take it seriously. I am so grateful and cannot tell you what this means to me. I had given up on nursing. Now I am back doing a job I love.”
-MD, Nurse, Fitness to Practise Hearing
“Stephen, I know we have not finished yet but without you I was going to be struck off. I cannot believe how bad my previous advice was and the outcome you got for me. I will be telling all of my colleagues. Thank you to you and your team.”
-MS, Doctor, GP, NHS England Performers List matter and CQC Referral
“Thank you Stephen for everything. I am delighted with the outcome. Will definitely recommend you.”
-KM, Radiologist, HCPC Fitness to Practise Appeal
“Dear Stephen, Thanks for your ongoing support. I hope we could find an ongoing relationship with your chambers. Kind regards and thanks for your help. You are one of the best lawyers I have ever come across.”
-JR, Doctor, GP Practice, CQC Warning Notice and Inspection
“Hello. Yes I will send feedback of course as I am ever so grateful for your support. I will wish for Mr McCaffrey to represent me at a future hearing. Thank you for everything.”
-NG, Social worker, HCPC Interim Order and Fitness to Practise Hearing
“Hi Stephen, Thank you so so much for supporting me through this. I really would have struggled alone. I cannot believe the allegations were dismissed following your intervention. I have my career and good name back.”
-JR, Social worker, HCPC Investigation and Internal Investigation
“Stephen, This is to let you know that HCPC has revoked the Interim Order on 11th May 2018. Thanks for your help. I am very grateful. Could not have done it without you and your team.”
-RB, Social worker, HCPC Interim Order and Fitness to Practise Hearing
“Stephen – I can honestly say that I am fully satisfied by the service that you have offered. I have a clear feeling that the result achieved is the best that we could ever have hoped for and even better, under the circumstances. You have been very supportive, professional and very effective in your approach during the whole process of dealing with my case, from start to finish. You have an obvious ability to absorb a case in its entirety to then produce a clear analysis to pull out very useful elements, strengths and weakness alike. I believe your very sound and methodical approach has strongly contributed to reach the positive outcome that we have reached. I shall never thank you enough for that. Beyond financial considerations, I could clearly see that to you, this field is your passion and that you will always do all that you can to be of service to your client, even to protect me from myself at times, when required. And one needs to be honest and say that your fees are reasonable and lower than the average on the market. I am very aware that your very competent support and your passion even have been a great part to my success, our success. I am very clear that should I need a lawyer again in future, you would definitely be my first port of call every time.
Please feel free to use my comment for marketing purposes.”
-DB, Social Worker, HCPC Fitness to Practise Hearing
Professional & Academic
MA in Safeguarding Adults: Law, Policy Practice (2017-2019)
Diploma in Safeguarding Law (Keele University)
Diploma in Forensic Medical Sciences (2018-2019)
Inns of Court School of Law BVC (Outstanding)
LLB Honours in Law (University College London)
Head of Chambers at Kings View Chambers – (www.kingsviewchambers.com)
Memberships
Institute of Directors
Middle Temple
Criminal Bar Association
South Eastern Circuit
Supporter and Patron of charities.
