Delighted to say that after a two year campaign in company with Dr Peter Green, have been entered on the General Medical Council Specialist Register with the Specialty ‘Forensic & Legal Medicine’. Peter and I have had to undergo along and complex process to achieve the Certificate of Eligibility for Specialist Registration, as the specialty does not currently exist in the UK. The certificate holder is said to have ‘a level of knowledge and skill consistent with practice as a consultant in any of the UK health services’.  The process is not open to those who have solely trained and only possess UK post-graduate qualifications, but may be to those with overseas qualifications.   The first hurdle which took many months to achieve was to even be eligible for consideration. That requires us obtaining overseas qualifications recognised by the GMC. Subsequently an entire dossier of validated and authenticated documentation covering a wide range of domains over the course of your career is required to be submitted and assessed.  Of course a substantial fee (and in my case supplementary fee) is required by the GMC.  Details can be found at http://www.gmc-uk.org/doctors/abouteligibility.asp. Peter Green was awarded the first Certificate in this specialty, and myself the second.  We are thus the only GMC recognised specialists in Forensic & Legal Medicine at the current time.  It will be interesting to see how many further applications follow.

Had a successful meeting with Roger Byard and have now completed the draft contents for the 2nd edition of the Encyclopedia of Forensic & Legal Medicine.  Gave evidence at a recent inquest in Neath (http://tinyurl.com/crmkehb) which resulted in a narrative verdict.  Teaching to MSc students on Injury Documentation and Interpretation.  Came 3rd in the RORC Caribbean 600 race.  Due to undertake two mediation observations next week,  with a telecon regarding 3rd edition of Symptoms and Signs of Substance Misuse (now in addition to Margaret Stark and myself, with toxicologist Mike Scott-Ham, adding to the mix). And finally giving evidence to the General Medical Council in a medical negligence case.  Mid-week hope to attend a Custody Forum for custody users in Stoke Newington, Hackney and Shoreditch Police Stations.