Forrest clinicians have a wide range of expertise and interests and are distributed widely across the UK. Legal representatives intending to make a referral to us will be sent an enquiry form. You may wish to discuss your requirements with our administrator by email or phone to optimise the fit between the client and the doctor. Sometimes a further discussion with the chosen expert can help to clarify what is needed and when.
We have found, over many years, that careful arrangements for examinations are essential to ensure that examinations can be conducted, and reports produced, with minimum stress for all parties. Our terms and conditions are written to ensure that:
- The clinician has been supplied with detailed instructions and all relevant documents in good time for them to be read and considered before the examination
- Careful attention is paid to the place of consultation, which may change, from one case to another
- Clients and interpreters arrive at the right place and on time. We try to call the client via the interpreter (if needed) to ensure good communication with the clinician on the morning of the consultation. This is invaluable in reassuring anxious clients and preventing wasted appointments.
Like all other organisations and individual clinicians working in the field, our capacity is limited. Where we cannot offer dates for submission of reports which meet the current requirements of the courts or Home Office caseworkers, we are able to provide “time to examine” letters. These are often helpful in support of requests for sufficient time to present relevant medical evidence.
Forrest MLS accepts publicly and privately funded work. We have a limited capacity to undertake work pro bono.
We are aware of the requirements of the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) regarding requests for funding for expert reports. Our cost estimates are based on hourly rates and times which comply with their standards.