2 October 2015
A re-enactment of a dramatic courtroom scene was the highlight of “Update on non-accidental injury imaging” held in London last month. This practical day was an invaluable recap on non-accidental imaging (NAI) procedures and protocols and was led by a courtroom judge and an experienced expert witness.
Dr Owen Arthurs (Great Ormond Street Hospital, London) a member of the BIR Magnetic Resonance special interest group organised a day of nationally recognised speakers.
The day began by considering guidelines around body imaging (skeletal injuries), post mortem imaging
and current controversies. This prompted a useful discussion over whether we should be performing chest CT routinely in NAI cases. One of the speakers, Dr Kath Halliday, is part of the RCR/RCPCH panel into revising the current NAI guidelines.
The mock courtroom session by HHJ Tolson QC used old-school techniques to create an authentic atmosphere. This was a great opportunity to see two of the UK’s expert witnesses being “put through their paces” and was a practical earning experience, which is difficult to replicate outside of this kind of event. The BIR is grateful to Judge Tolson for sharing his wide experience and to Dr Neil Stoodley and Dr Jo Fairhurst who willingly volunteered to act the appropriate parts in the drama.
The afternoon concluded with a session on imaging NAI in the brain, with talks from a neurosurgeon, neuropathologist and a neuroradiologist, each giving their unique perspective. It was particularly useful to explore the ongoing debates in this field and the emotional consequences of getting things wrong for the child, wider family and medical practitioners involved.
“Highly worthwhile”, “an excellent and informative review” and “very comprehensive” were just some of the comments made by participants who came from across the UK, other European countries and the Mayo Clinic in the USA. All of the participants agreed that the educational aims were met and 75% of attendants rated the course as “excellent”.
We are considering running this event on a regular basis, so if you would like to see it run in your area, contact Sarah Adibi, Head of Education, BIR on sarah.adibi@bir.org.uk
Group image: (Left to right) Dr Neil Stoodley, Dr Tom Jacques, Dr Colin Smith, Dr Richard Edwards, Dr Owen Arthurs, HHJ Robin Tolson, Dr Katherine Halliday and Dr Jo Fairhurst.
Courtroom image: HHJ Robin Tolson (left, standing) questioning Dr Neil Stoodley.
