Expert Witness Journal Issue 63 October 2025 - Flipbook - Page 64
Dr Andrew Breen
Consultant in Anaesthesia
and Intensive Care Medicine
MBCHB FRCA FFICM MBA
Mr Filippo Di Franco is a Consultant Upper Gastrointestinal and Laparoscopic Surgeon at the
Dr Andrew Breen is a Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine and
North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust and also Director for the Division of Surgery at
Anaesthesia based at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS trust, West
North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust.
Yorkshire, a position he has held since 2005.
Mr Di Franco specialises in General Surgery and all aspects of benign upper gastrointestinal
Intensive care medicine: Dr Breen’s clinical expertise is in the comprehensive
surgery and emergency general surgery, including laparoscopic/open surgery for gallstones
delivery of support to patients requiring general intensive care and cardiac intensive
(cholecystectomy), groin hernias, abdominal wall hernias, hiatus hernia, acid reflux
care. His clinical workload comprises the breadth of general intensive care medicine,
(gastro-oesophageal reflux disease) and acute intra-abdominal conditions such as peptic
as well as the specialist areas of liver failure and transplantation, upper GI and
ulcer disease, bowel obstruction and perforation, appendicitis, cholecystitis, pancreatitis,
bariatric surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, haematology and oncology. This includes the
peritonitis and trauma. He is also a JAG accredited upper gastrointestinal endoscopist.
treatment of sepsis, shock/cardiovascular support, respiratory failure and multiple
organ failure.
As an expert witness, Mr Di Franco can be instructed to provide an honest and reliable expert
His academic and educational interests include
witness report on issues within a General Surgery context and in relation to trauma, personal
l point-of-care ultrasound
injury and clinical negligence including breach of duty, causation, condition and prognosis.
l the ethics of care escalation
l intravenous fluid therapy and electrolyte management
In addition to desktop reports and/or remote consultation, Mr Di Franco is prepared to
l delayed treatment of the deteriorating patient
undertake medical examination where it is necessary.
l prognostication and decision-making
Anaesthesia: Dr Breen’s clinical expertise in anaesthesia comprises all areas
Mr Di Franco has undertaken specialist expert witness training and holds the Cardiff
of general surgery, as well as the specialist areas of thoracic surgery,
University Bond Solon (CUBS) Expert Witness Civil Certificate (2021). To complete the CUBS
hepatobiliary surgery, upper GI and bariatric surgery.
(Civil) he has undertaken the following Bond Solon Expert Witness training courses:
This includes
- Excellence in Report Writing (2019)
- Courtroom Skills (2020)
- Cross-Examination Day (2020)
- Civil Law and Procedure (2020)
l cardiovascular management
l intravenous fluid therapy
l vascular access
l preoperative assessment
l postoperative management & complications
l airway management
Sepsis: As a consultant in Intensive Care Medicine and Anaesthesia, Dr Breen has
Mr Di Franco has been awarded three Clinical Excellence Awards and has been a member of
been managing sepsis for over 20 years. His interests in sepsis range across the
the “Q” (quality) initiative of Health Foundation since 2018 and Fellow of the Royal College of
intensive care environment, the hospital ward environment and the operating theatre,
Surgeons since 2001. As Divisional Director for Surgery at North West Anglia NHS Foundation
and include early resuscitation, system-wide quality management and the education of
Trust, he is responsible for the overall performance of the Division of Surgery which includes 15
all frontline healthcare providers in optimal management.
Departments. He has published some 22 papers in peer-reviewed journals on topics in general
Intravenous fluid therapy: Dr Breen is an experienced educator and quality improver
surgery. The majority of these papers relate to laparoscopic surgery and emergency surgery.
in the administration of intravenous fluids.
Address: Department of Adult Critical Care, Level 2 Bexley Wing,
Correspondence to: MSS, PO BOX 1460, Cambridge, CB1 ONS
St James's University Hospital, Becket Street, Leeds LS9 7TF
Contact: Mr Filippo Di Franco Tel: 01223 479 024 - Fax:01223 755125
Area of work: West Yorkshire & Nationwide - Mobile: 07720 470 600 -
Email: info@fdifranco.com - Alternate Email: fildifra@gmail.com - Web: www.fdifranco.com
Email: contact@icuexpert.co.uk, contact@anaesthesia-expert.co.uk
Professor Jonathan Pinkney BSc, MB BS, MD, FRCP.
Mr Robert Sutcliffe
Professor of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Obesity
Consultant Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgeon
Jonathan Pinkney is Professor of Endocrinology and Diabetes at the Peninsula
MA MB BChir FRCS(Gen) MD
Schools of Medicine and Dentistry and Honorary Consultant Physician in
Endocrinology and Diabetes at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust. He
Mr Robert Sutcliffe is a Consultant in Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery based
at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham.
qualified from London University in 1985 and has held senior clinical and
academic appointments in Bristol, Liverpool and Plymouth.
Robert graduated in medicine at Cambridge University in 1995. After basic surgical
training, he was awarded an M.D. after completing research into hepatocellular
carcinoma at Kings College Hospital, London.
Professor Pinkney has completed the Bond Solon Expert Witness training and he
holds the Cardiff University Bond Solon (CUBS) certificate. Professor Pinkney
undertakes the preparation of medicolegal reports relating to medical problems
associated with diabetes, obesity, endocrinology (hormones and metabolism), and
Robert has played a major role in developing the laparoscopic HPB programme in
Birmingham and also has experience in robotic HPB surgery. Robert is experienced
in treating patients with gallbladder, liver and pancreatic conditions, and offers the
full range of HPB surgical procedures, including Whipple procedure, laparoscopic
distal pancreatectomy, open and laparoscopic liver resection and laparoscopic
adrenalectomy.
acute general medicine, in which fields he has many years of clinical experience
and a wealth of expertise on all aspects of clinical management and the long term
consequences of diseases.
Specific areas of expertise and medicolegal interest within the field of diabetes
include the drug and other medical treatment of diabetes, the occurrence and long
term treatment and risks associated with complications of diabetes (vascular
disease, retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy and diabetic foot problems), and
Robert has undertaken medicolegal work since 2013 (negligence work since 2014).
He has attended both the Standard Medicolegal Course and Medico-legal expert
witness course on clinical negligence in 2012. He is instructed on approximately
30-35 cases per year (negligence only), equally divided between claimant and
defendant.
the risk factors for, and occurrence and management of hypoglycaemia,
hypoglycaemia and driving, and forensic aspects of hypoglycaemia.
Specific areas of interest and expertise in the field of obesity include causes of
weight gain, medical effects of weight gain, weight loss treatments including
bariatric surgery, medical side effects and complications of bariatric surgery, and
Areas of medicolegal expertise include;
- All aspects of hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery, including bile duct injury,
pancreatitis
- Adrenal surgery
the impact of obesity and its treatment on long term health and mortality.
Specific areas of interest in endocrinology include diseases of the thyroid, adrenal
and pituitary glands, calcium and vitamin-D metabolism and reproductive
endocrinology.
Robert has an interest in clinical research and has published over 200 peer-reviewed
articles. His research interests include surgical oncology, perioperative care and
minimally invasive HPB surgery, and he has introduced enhanced recovery
pathways after liver and pancreatic resection in Birmingham. Robert is a committee
member for the European Registry of Minimally Invasive Liver Surgery (E-MILS)
and an Associate Editor of the HPB Journal.
General areas of medicolegal interest and previous experience within these
specific disease areas include the correct application of evidence-based clinical
practice to patient management, long term risks of complications, the risk of
treatment side effects, and life expectancy.
Mobile: 07884 376647
Email: Jonathan.Pinkney@plymouth.ac.uk
Contact: Robert Sutcliffe, Tel: 07961 157351
Email: rp_sutcliffe@yahoo.co.uk - Website: www.birminghamhpbclinic.co.uk
Address: 62 Chantry Road, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 8DJ
EXPERT WITNESS JOURNAL
Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
University Medicine Level 7, Plymouth, PL6 8DH
62
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2025
