Yvonne Screene

Practice Areas

Yvonne is a Partner with more than 25 years' experience in defending med-mal claims and healthcare regulation. She has acted for the Medical Defence Union (MDU) for the last ten years and has also worked with all other main Medical Defence Organisations and the NHSR.

She has also represented clinicians appearing before their regulatory bodies, Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service and General Dental Council and represented healthcare professionals and Trusts at Inquests.

Yvonne has extensive knowledge of clinical negligence litigation from a defendant perspective and is skilled in handling and managing high value claims involving complex issues on liability and quantum. Areas include all types of obstetric, neurological, orthopaedic, and oncological claims amongst the full spectrum of clinical injuries. With her defendant insurance background (primarily acting for medical and dental defence organisations and the NHS) she utilizes practical, cost effective and tactical case management strategies to ensure the likely outcome of each case is assessed at an early stage then promptly settled or brought to trial, avoiding unnecessary costs or delay.

Work Highlights

Insureds before Queen's Bench Masters, District and County Court Judges, at Inquests and in Family Court proceedings.

Doctors and dentists in disciplinary proceedings before The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service and General Dental Council.

Healthcare professionals in "look back" exercises and public Inquiries.

Confidential clients to defend Group Litigation Orders and multi-party contribution claims.

Obstetricians in a claim concerning failure to proceed to caesarean, and the child suffered a significant birth injury.

A GP in a claim concerning delayed diagnosis of herpes simplex virus, the patient suffered encephalitis and severe hypoxic brain injury causing personality change.

Doctors in a claim for failure to refer for transient ischaemic attack, patient suffered a stroke and requires 24-hour care.

A doctor in a claim concerning a delayed diagnosis of meningitis, where the child suffered catastrophic brain injury, is now severely disabled and totally reliant on others for his care needs.

Education