PAIN EXPERT - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Well - Established and Highly Experienced Pain Specialist
Dr Arasu Rayen is a well-established and highly experienced pain specialist working in the Birmingham region who has been providing expert evidence for personal injury and medical negligence cases for over 10 years.
With more than 20 years as a Consultant in Pain Medicine in both the NHS and private sector, Dr Rayen has extensive clinical experience in chronic pain management, which provides him with the foundation to provide reliable, well-qualified expert evidence for the courts.
Dr Rayen is experienced in the medical and multidisciplinary management of a wide range of chronic pain conditions, now listed in the ICD-11, including chronic primary pain and complex regional pain syndrome, chronic neuropathic pain, chronic post-surgical and post-traumatic pain, and chronic secondary musculoskeletal pain and more listed on his CV.
Dr Rayen has published articles on chronic pain management in both national and international journals. He has written a number of articles for ‘Pain News', the official newsletter of the British Pain Society and was editor for this publication between 2010-2013. He was co-opted as a member of the Council of British Pain Society between 2014 - 2018.
In 2014, Dr Rayen was awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education by Dundee University to recognise the highest professionalism and dedication in teaching.
Job Titles:
- Consultant in Pain Medicine & Anaesthesia
Dr Arun Sehgal has been a Consultant in Pain Medicine and Anaesthesia since 2007 and is currently working at North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust. He undertakes private practice at the Ramsay Fitzwilliam Hospital in Peterborough.
Dr Sehgal joined Pain Expert Limited in 2022.
Job Titles:
- Honorary Associate Professor at UCL
- Medical Expert
Dr Ashish Shetty is an established medical expert with years of experience in providing medicolegal services for lawyers and expert evidence for the courts. He has had a clinical private practice since 2016 in The Harley Street Clinic and the London Bridge Hospital, and has been preparing medicolegal reports for the courts since February 2018.
Dr Shetty is an Honorary Associate Professor at UCL and Lead Consultant in Pain Management at the University College London Hospitals. He is the lead for Neuromodulation at the National Hospital Neurology and Neurosurgery.
He specializes in the use of Spinal Cord Stimulation for managing complex neuropathic pain conditions including chronic back, leg and pelvic pain, and has proctored doctors across Europe in techniques of Neuromodulation in management complex pelvic pain conditions.
Dr Shetty was awarded clinical excellence award at the House of Lords in honour and recognition of his outstanding performance, dedication and continuing excellence in exemplifying the highest standards of service in the field.
Dr Ben Huntley has extensive experience as a Chronic Pain Consultant, managing complex cases in both the public and the private sector.
Dr Huntley has expertise in the management of a wide range of chronic pain conditions including chronic primary pain, chronic secondary pain, chronic pain after injury, chronic spinal pain, chronic neck pain, chronic widespread pain, complex regional pain syndrome and neuropathic pain.
His well-established reputation is based on his diligent practice, the approachable and professional manner of his communication and his detailed knowledge of chronically painful conditions.
Dr Huntley studied Medicine at the University of Birmingham where he was awarded the Arthur Thompson Special Prize for his research. He completed his training in Pain Medicine and Anaesthesia at the Bristol School of Anaesthesia where he won the Head of School Award for Outstanding Achievement.
Dr Huntley is employed as a Consultant in Pain Medicine and Anaesthesia at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust where he remains instrumental in leading the modernisation and development of the Chronic Pain Service.
On his appointment as a Pain Consultant in 2012, Dr Huntley successfully lobbied for substantial investment to transform an intervention-only pain service into a modern, comprehensive multidisciplinary pain management service, with the successful appointment of a multidisciplinary pain management team and the development of a Multidisciplinary Pain Management Programme. The BHRUT Chronic Pain Service now provides a comprehensive multidisciplinary pain management service, an interventional cancer pain service and a spinal cord stimulator service.
Dr Christopher Green is a skilled Pain Medicine Consultant based in Plymouth, UK. He graduated from Cardiff Medical School in 2000 and completed his Specialist training in Oxford 2012 becoming a Fellow of both the Royal College of Anaesthetists and Faculty of Pain Medicine.
Additionally, Dr Green completed an accredited Interventional Pain Fellowship in Ottawa, Canada in advanced cancer & non-cancer pain management and neuromodulation (spinal cord stimulation & intrathecal drug delivery). Following this, he was appointed a full-time permanent Consultant at Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge, UK where he worked from 2012 until 2017.
Dr Green then moved to Plymouth to work in the university hospital specialised tertiary pain center where he was appointed Clinical Director of Chronic Pain until 2022.
Dr Green has joined Pain Expert in April 2023 and is available to take on claimant, defendant and joint instructions in chronic pain cases.
Dr David Hutchins is a skilled and respected Consultant in acute and chronic adult Pain Medicine, Anaesthesia, and Transfer Medicine, with over 10 years of specialist experience. He has been independently practicing as a Consultant since 2019. Following his undergraduate training in Brighton, Dr Hutchins' training was mainly based in the Southwest. Shorter periods of time to gain sub-specialised pain medicine experience in neuropathic pain, neuromodulation, and paediatric pain medicine were undertaken in Bristol and Southampton. He is an organised, responsive, and adaptive professional, whose practice is characterised by working flexibly and respectfully according to client needs.
Dr Hutchins is heavily involved with education, running a national examination course for doctors in training, and regularly teaching as an Honorary Senior Lecturer for the University of Plymouth. With a passion for quality improvement in patient care, much of his work is accepted at national and international meetings.
Dr Hutchins' civil medicolegal career comprises a practice based in Plymouth. However, this practice extends across the Southwest, South of England and Wales. He has completed the Bond Solon Cardiff University "CUBS" medicolegal qualification which has provided the foundation for his high-quality medicolegal expert witness service.
Dr Hutchins is experienced in the medical and multidisciplinary management of a wide range of chronic pain conditions, now listed in the ICD-11, including complex regional pain syndrome and chronic primary pain , post-traumatic pain and chronic post-surgical, chronic neuropathic pain, and chronic musculoskeletal pain and more listed on his CV.
Dr Hutchins is available to handle claimant, defendant and joint instructions for chronic pain cases.
Dr Eastwood was a Consultant in Pain Medicine at Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust from 1981 to 2017 and continued to work clinically in private practice until his retirement in July 2020. He is an established medical expert with over 20 years of experience in providing expert evidence for the courts. He joined Pain Expert in September 2014.
Dr Jackson currently works at Westminster Home Treatment Team, which she formed, as a Consultant Psychiatrist since 2004. She prepares expert evidence in a wide range of conditions including personal injury, clinical negligence cases, criminal justice cases, complex mental health cases and employment cases.
Dr Luscombe was a Consultant in Pain Management and Anaesthesia at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals in Truro from 1990 to 2004 and a Consultant in Pain Management and Anaesthesia at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth from 2004 to 2016. He continues to work clinically in private practice with consulting rooms in Plymouth.
Dr Luscombe is an established medical expert with many years of experience in providing medicolegal services for lawyers and expert evidence for the courts. He joined Pain Expert in June 2013.
Job Titles:
- Consultant in Pain Management and Anaesthesia at the Chelsea
Dr Towlerton is currently a Consultant in Pain Management and Anaesthesia at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospitals. He continues to work clinically in private practice with consulting rooms at the Fortius Clinic in London.
Dr Towlerton has been established as medical expert with twelve years of experience in providing medicolegal services for lawyers and expert evidence for the courts.
Dr Jawaad Malik is a knowledgeable, highly trained professional in perioperative anxiety management, anaesthesia and pain management. He has joined Pain Expert Limited in August 2023.
Dr Malik obtained his Bachelor's degree in surgery and medicine and a Bachelor of Science degree from St Bartholomew's and the Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry. He completed his training in world-renowned Teaching hospitals such as The Royal Marsden, The Royal Free, as well as The Royal London, UCL, Moorfields Eye Hospital, Charing Cross, Hammersmith, and St Mary's Hospital in Paddington. He was awarded FRCA, FFPMRCA from the Royal College of Anaesthetists and the Faculty of Pain Medicine, and the European Diploma of Regional Anaesthesia (EDRA) in Greece. Additionally, he holds an Executive MBA from the US, further establishing him as a knowledgeable and highly trained professional in Anaesthesia, Regional anaesthesia, and Pain management. He further trained in advanced pain techniques at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Hillingdon Hospital.
Dr Malik is experienced in the medical and multidisciplinary management of a wide range of chronic pain conditions, now listed in the ICD-11, including chronic primary pain, chronic secondary musculoskeletal pain, post traumatic pain syndrome, complex regional pain syndrome, chronic neuropathic pain, chronic post surgical, and more.
Jane has practised as a staff nurse and midwife at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, and later worked at the Norwich Pain Management Clinic. She has also been a product specialist for two leading medical device companies (Medtronic & Boston Scientific).
For many years, Jane played an important supporting role in our founder Jon Valentine's medicolegal practice, which ultimately developed into Pain Expert and the business we run today. Jane plays key roles in business and customer account management.
Jon founded Pain Expert in 2012 with the aim of providing a professional, reliable source of medicolegal experts specialised in pain management for the legal profession and providing comprehensive administrative facilities for medicolegal experts. Since then, the company has grown into established virtual chambers of specialist medicolegal experts.
Dr Davies has been Consultant in Anaesthetics and Pain Management at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital since May 2007. She has been preparing expert evidence for the Court since March 2012. She joined Pain Expert in April 2017.
Dr Sidery has been Consultant in Anaesthetics and Pain Management at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital since 2008. He is now an established medical expert and has been providing medicolegal services since 2010. He joined Pain Expert in July 2013.
Job Titles:
- Well - Established Full Time Pain Consultant
Dr Mohjir Baloch is a highly experienced and well-established full time pain consultant with over 15 years of experience. Dr Baloch leads an exceptionally regarded multidisciplinary pain clinic at his NHS base in Frimley Park hospital and has been providing medicolegal evidence on the matters of clinical negligence and personal injury to the courts since 2014.
Dr Baloch qualified in 1997 from Guys and St Thomas medical school and trained in both medicine and anaesthesia at leading London teaching hospitals, completing a prestigious pain fellowship at St Bartholomew's hospital, London after gaining experience of pain management at St Thomas' and Kings College hospitals.
He is now one of the leading pain management consultants in Surrey and Hampshire, working within a busy practice seeing over 1000 patients a year both in the NHS and privately.
Dr Baloch is experienced in the medical and multidisciplinary management of a wide range of chronic pain conditions, now listed in the ICD-11, including complex regional pain syndrome, chronic primary pain, chronic post-surgical, chronic neuropathic pain, post traumatic pain and more listed on his CV.
Dr Baloch leads in the area of research and education within pain management. He established a highly regarded Pain fellowship programme for senior trainees at Frimley Park hospital, and has helped organise several national and international courses to train pain management doctors improve their skills. He is regularly invited as faculty for international conferences, and has authored several papers on pain management in internationally recognised journals.
Dr Baloch is part of the court of examiners for the Faculty of Pain Medicine and is a Royal College of Anaesthetists representative at consultant interview panels. He is a committee member of the Interventional pain Group of the British Pain Society and Course Director of the International Ultrasound guided Pain Interventions Workshop at the Royal College of Physicians.
Dr Nathan Oliver has been practising Pain Medicine since 2016, and has been Consultant alongside anaesthetist since 2020. Dr Oliver specialises on the management of complex pain as a result of trauma and injury and is experienced at managing a wide range of painful primary and secondary chronic pain conditions in an outpatient setting. His experience includes management of headaches, facial pain, neck pain, spinal pain, neuropathic pain (including post-injury and complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)), chronic musculoskeletal pain, and chronic widespread pain.
Dr Oliver has presented at local and national meetings and taught at undergraduate, postgraduate and specialist levels in the UK and abroad. He is currently a clinical supervisor for trainees within the trust and is a Member of the Academy of Medical Educators.
Dr Oliver has joined Pain Expert in June 2023 and is available to take on claimant, defendant and joint instructions in chronic pain cases.
Job Titles:
- Consultant in Anaesthetics and Pain Management at East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust
Dr Collighan has been a Consultant in Anaesthetics and Pain Management at East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust at Margate and Canterbury since 2009 although his clinical practice has been dedicated to Pain Management since the end of 2014. Dr Collighan has been providing medicolegal reports since 2009. He joined Pain Expert in October 2014.
Job Titles:
- Consultant at Addenbrooke 's Hospital
Dr Rolfe has been a consultant at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust since 2007. He is the lead clinician for paediatric pain medicine and divides his time between adult and paediatric patients.
He undertakes private practice at Nuffield Health Cambridge Hospital and the Spire Cambridge Lea Hospital.
Dr Rolfe joined Pain Expert Limited in 2022.
Job Titles:
- Consultant in Anaesthetics and Pain Medicine at Royal United Hospitals Bath
Dr Paul Watson is a substantive Consultant in Anaesthetics and Pain Medicine at Royal United Hospitals Bath, appointed in June 2021. He has been the medical lead for tertiary pain services at Bath National Pain Centre (BNPC) since November 2021. BNPC is an interdisciplinary centre seeing a full spectrum of chronic pain conditions across 4 distinct pain services. They comprise a multidisciplinary pain clinic and three national pain services: Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) service, Bath Centre for Pain Services (BCPS) offering residential rehabilitation for complex pain, and Complex Cancer Late Effects Rehabilitation Service (CCLERS).
Dr Watson has expertise in the management of a wide range of chronic pain conditions including management of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), spinal pain, pain after surgery & trauma, and painful neuropathies. In their national services, he assesses complex pain cases that have persisting distressing pain that has not been controlled by standard pain management at the patient's local services.
Dr Watson has joined Pain Expert in October 2023 and is available to take on claimant, defendant and joint instructions in chronic pain cases.
Dr Sawyer was a Consultant in Anaesthetics and Pain Management at Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust from 2002 to 2013 and a Consultant in Anaesthetics and Pain Management at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust from 2013.
Dr Sawyer is an established medical expert providing medicolegal reports for the courts since 2004. He joined Pain Expert in 2014.
Dr Sabina Bachtold has been practicing Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine as a Consultant in Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
since March 2020. She completed her Advanced Pain Medicine training in 2018 in the Royal Marsden Hospital, Chelsea and
Bachtold has been an examiner for the European Diploma of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care since 2022.
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Psychiatrist
- Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists
Dr Sabina Burza has been a member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (MRCPsych) since 2004 and qualified as a Consultant Psychiatrist in 2013 with specialisms in Old Age, General Adult Psychiatry and Rehabilitation Psychiatry.
Dr Burza has been a Consultant Psychiatrist in Rehabilitation Psychiatry in Central Northwest London NHS Trust since 2021, and a part-time Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist at the Traumatic Stress Clinic in Camden and Islington NHS Trust since September 2023.
She has prepared medicolegal reports for criminal litigation cases, coroner's inquests, personal injury litigation and Section 49 reports.
Dr Burza has joined Psychiatric Expert in November 2023 and is available to take on claimant, defendant and joint instructions in personal injury, clinical negligence and complex mental health cases.
Job Titles:
- Consultant in Anaesthesia and Pain Management at Sunderland Royal Hospital
- Medical Expert
Dr Sanjay Varma is an established medical expert and has been providing medicolegal evidence to the courts since March 2016. He joined Pain Expert Limited in April 2022. His extensive experience as a Pain Management and Anaesthesia Consultant gives him the foundation to provide timely, clear, independent medical reports to the courts. He fully understands the requirements of instructing solicitors, in particular the restricted timescales for litigation, the limitations of expertise, and the absolute need for independent and balanced consideration.
Dr Varma has been a Consultant in Anaesthesia and Pain Management at Sunderland Royal Hospital since 2003. He has extensive experience in the management of a wide range of painful conditions including those that can result in personal injury. This includes chronic conditions such as complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), neuropathic pain, lumbar spinal pain & sciatica, thoracic spinal pain, cervical spinal pain & whiplash, shoulder pain, pelvic pain, pain after surgery & trauma, fibromyalgia and complex headaches.
Dr Varma is the former lead clinician for the pain service at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust. He led the service for 9 years and helped recruit consultants in the department. He is an appraiser for consultants in his trust. The role entails facilitating the whole scope of practice for the doctor in preparation for their revalidation.
He is listed on the UK Register of Expert Witnesses and National Register of University Certificated Expert Witnesses.
Job Titles:
- Consultant in Pain Medicine & Anaesthesia
- Services for Lawyers and Expert
Dr Sunny Nayee has been providing medicolegal services for lawyers and expert evidence for the courts since February 2020. He has been a Consultant in Pain Medicine and Anaesthesia since 2017, and has had a clinical private practice 2018 in The Thames View in London.
Dr Nayee trained at Cambridge University Medical School. He has completed training rotations in some of the top teaching hospitals in the United Kingdom including the well renowned Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge, the Royal Brompton Hospital in South Kensington and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in West London, where he currently works.
Dr Nayee is experienced in the medical and multidisciplinary management of a wide range of chronic pain conditions, now listed in the ICD-11, including chronic primary pain and complex regional pain syndrome, chronic secondary musculoskeletal pain, post traumatic pain and chronic post surgical, chronic neuropathic pain and more listed on his CV.
Dr Nayee regulary presents his work at national and international meetings and regularly attends cadaveric workshops in the United Kingdom and across the world to learn and implement cutting edge techniques.
Dr Nayee has been awarded the top prize from the Strategic Health Authority's Dragon Den competition which was covered extensively in the national press.
Dr Leary has been Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital since March 2001. He has been preparing expert evidence for the Court since 2014. He joined Pain Expert in January 2018.
Job Titles:
- Services to Lawyers and Preparing Expert
Dr Tom Bendinger has been providing medicolegal services to lawyers and preparing expert evidence to the courts since 2018. He has been a Consultant in Pain Medicine at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals since 2016 and also works clinically at the Claremont Hospital in Sheffield.
Dr Bendinger trained in South Yorkshire and Midlands and completed a Pain Medicine fellowship in Sheffield, obtaining a Fellow of Faculty of Pain Medicine of Royal College of Anaesthetists qualification by the examination in 2015. He also achieved a European Diploma in Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine.
Dr Bendinger is experienced in the medical and multidisciplinary management of a wide range of chronic pain conditions, now listed in the ICD-11, including chronic primary pain and complex regional pain syndrome, post traumatic pain and chronic post-surgical, chronic neuropathic pain and more listed on his CV.
Dr Bendinger is the Honorary Lecturer of Sheffield University and Regional Advisor in Pain Medicine for Sheffield and North Trent.
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Consultant in Pain Medicine & Anaesthesia
Dr Yasser Mehrez has been a Consultant in Pain Medicine and Anaesthesia since 2007 and is currently working at Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Trust. He undertakes private practice at The Saxon Clinic, BMI Hospital.
Dr Mehrez joined Pain Expert Limited in 2020.
Eduardo prides himself on being an approachable and professional Business Manager at Pain Expert Limited. He responsible for supporting the marketing of the business.
Jon Valentine and Donna Burton organise and run our educational courses, such as the Annual Pain Expert conference for our members and the Essential Skills for Pain Management Experts course. Upon request from our clients, Donna will arrange for one or more of our members to speak at your legal meetings and conferences.
Julie Summers-Frost supervises and develops the systems we are establishing to advance the attainment and maintenance of the highest standards in the medicolegal practices of our members. Julie promotes the smooth running of our peer review systems, feedback processes and our experts' professional development.
Julie has been with us since our foundation. She has previously held many management roles in both the public and private sectors. Her expertise and steadfast support have helped us manage a period of rapid growth with expansion in the number of medical experts in our team and the associated administrative support required to ensure the continuing smooth running of the business.
Julie Summers-Frost supervises and develops the systems we are establishing to advance the attainment and maintenance of the highest standards in the medicolegal practices of our members. Julie promotes the smooth running of our peer review systems, feedback processes and our experts' professional development.
Lisa joined us in 2013 and is responsible for scanning all case documentation which she then securely shares with the relevant expert. Lisa manages the electronic processing of the records we receive from our clients for our experts' consideration. She accurately scans the papers, prepares a structured set of digital (PDF) files, and makes them accessible to the instructed expert for review. Lisa oversees the confidential disposal of the paper records thereafter.
Rebecca joined us in May 2017, and is responsible for administering the business accounts and liaising with clients and members regarding invoicing and payment queries. Rebecca's background is in Finance and HR.
Rebecca Heaser and Jane Valentine ensure the smooth running of our accounts department. Rebecca provides the primary contact for our members and our clients ensuring that any invoice issues arising are promptly addressed, efficiently investigated and resolved at the earliest opportunity.
Sue joined Pain Expert in January 2019. She previously worked for a team of Plastic Surgeons in private practice for 25 years as a secretary and then Office Manager. Sue is involved in the administrative support to ensure the smooth running of the office.
Tracey join Pain Expert in February 2022. She previously worked for a General Practitioner Practice for 3 years as a receptionist. Tracey is involved in the administrative support to ensure the smooth running of the office.