At Medical Solicitors, we don’t just understand medical negligence law; our staff have lived the world behind the hospital doors, the maternity wards, the GP surgeries and dental clinics.
Several members of our legal team began their professional journeys in healthcare before deciding to retrain in the legal industry. Today, they apply that frontline experience to advocate for patients who have suffered avoidable harm.
In this blog, we’re proud to introduce some of those staff members who’ve made the transition from caring for patients to fighting for justice - and why that journey makes a real difference to our clients.
Meet the People Behind the Cases
Dr. Gita Sarda – From GP to Litigation Assistant
Dr Gita had a well-rounded medical career before joining Medical Solicitors ten years ago. She spent over 20 years working in clinical settings in England and Australia, as well as lecturing at Australia’s largest medical school, the University of Queensland.
Hailing from a medical family – her father a GP and mother a nurse – Gita was perhaps destined to follow in her parents’ footsteps. With a keen interest in science, she went to medical school at King’s College, London where she finished in the top three students for grade results. After qualifying as a doctor, she decided to follow her father into general practice.
“Dad would say he had the best job in the world. I was really close to him growing up, like his little shadow. I’d always be in his surgery during the school holidays and even when I was in medical school I would go in and practice my skills on his patients under his supervision.”
In the late 1990s, Gita moved to Australia with her husband’s job. She worked at a GP surgery in a small, remote town. Being one of two female GPs allowed her to delve into her lifelong interest of obstetrics and gynaecology, seeing more female and antenatal patients.
However, when her first son came along, Gita’s three-hour-round commute to work became unsustainable. She moved into teaching, taking up a position at University of Queensland to lecture in reproductive medicine.
“It was an amazing time, really good fun, and I met some interesting people at the top of their game like the immunologist, Ian Frazer, who developed the HPV vaccine.”
After 13 years in Australia, Gita and her family moved back to the UK, relocating in Sheffield. However, instead of heading back into the NHS, she applied for a job at our sister company, Order Order, medical records chronologists for clinical negligence law firms. After seven years, she then moved over to Medical Solicitors to continue her legal training.
Her decision to retrain in law was sparked by a desire to become a coroner. The rules had changed which meant doctors could no longer become coroners without a law qualification. Gita decided to complete a graduate diploma in law at Leeds University on a part-time basis around her job.
Today, Gita works alongside our director, Christine Brown, supporting clients whose cases involve misdiagnosis, delayed treatment, or poor care in primary and secondary settings.
Zarqaa Iqbal – From Head Dental Nurse to Trainee Lawyer
Zarqaa began her career as a dental nurse in private practice while deciding between a career in pharmacy or law.
Although she always knew dental nursing wasn’t her long-term career path, it provided Zarqaa with valuable insight into the dentistry profession and a multitude of transferrable skills beneficial to her legal career – from attention to detail and problem solving to good communication and resilience.
During her dental career, Zarqaa assisted with complex procedures like dental implants, surgical extractions, bone grafts and other private treatments.
“I particularly enjoyed the longer, more intricate treatments especially those involving surgery and I was never fazed by the clinical side, even when things got a bit bloody. It was fulfilling to witness the transformation in patients’ smiles and see the positive impact these treatments had on their confidence and wellbeing,” she says.
As head nurse, she was also responsible for managing and training the nursing team which helped her develop strong leadership skills.
While working alongside dentists and maxillofacial surgeons, Zarqaa became increasingly aware of the importance of legal and ethical responsibilities, such as maintaining patient confidentiality, regulatory compliance, and upholding the duty of care. This sparked an interest in medical law and made her realise she could combine her background in healthcare with her passion for legal reasoning.
Zarqaa embarked on a three-year law degree, during which time she worked at law firms across various fields from family and immigration law to wills, probate and conveyancing. However, it was medical law that appealed to her most. She joined our team earlier this year as a litigation assistant with a view to qualifying as a medical negligence solicitor.
“Ultimately, I found that law aligned more closely with my strengths and interests, particularly my drive to resolve issues and make sense of challenging situations.
“I find it rewarding to support cases where clinical standards are carefully examined, helping to ensure accountability and improve the quality of care. Knowing my work can help provide answers and resolution to those affected by medical errors gives me a strong sense of purpose and reinforces my interest in medical law.”
Mia Linton – From Midwife to Medical Negligence Enquiries Handler
Mia worked as a midwife before joining Medical Solicitors, delivering babies and advocating for women through some of their most vulnerable moments.
However, the pressures within maternity services motivated Mia to pursue a different form of advocacy.
“There is no feeling quite like bringing new life into the world. It never gets old. Unfortunately, midwifery services are a very underfunded sector within the NHS. There is a national shortage of midwives which causes significant pressure on existing staff. The long unsociable hours sometimes without a break can be mentally and physically challenging,” she says.
“Another challenging part of being a midwife was when we had poor outcomes. That takes a massive toll on your mental health. I felt unable to give the quality of care that I would love to give my patients due to lack of time as a result of the staffing issues we were constantly faced with.”
After much deliberation, Mia left her midwifery career behind to pursue a new interest in medical law, joining Medical Solicitors as a new enquiries handler.
With a specialist insight into obstetric claims, from birth trauma and neonatal injury to failures in antenatal monitoring, Mia’s clinical insight is crucial when building strong, sensitive cases, and when supporting clients through emotionally difficult stories.
“My role here at Medical Solicitors is to take enquiries and obtain as much information as possible. We take quite a lot of enquiries relating to birth injuries and I am at an advantage in that I understand a lot of the medical terminology relating to pregnancy, birth and gynaecology. It helps me to guide the enquirers when telling their story so that I can obtain all of the information required to assess an enquiry.”
From Healthcare to Legal Support: A Unique Perspective
Medical negligence claims demand more than just legal knowledge. Understanding clinical processes, medical terminology, and the realities of patient care is critical when assessing what went wrong - and what should have happened instead.
That’s why having former healthcare professionals on our team is such a powerful asset.
Their dual skillset means they can spot inconsistencies in medical records, interpret clinical language with ease, recognise when standards of care may have fallen short and, most importantly, communicate with clients in a way that’s both compassionate and clear.
This insight adds real value to our legal team's case preparation and helps ensure that no detail - clinical or otherwise - is overlooked.
Spotting Red Flags in Medical Records
Having a background in healthcare means our team is uniquely equipped to review medical records with a trained eye. They understand how notes should be documented, what timelines are realistic for treatment, and when something doesn’t add up.
This allows them to identify early indicators of negligence or lapses in care, saving time and strengthening the foundation of the case before it even reaches a solicitor’s desk.
It starts from the initial enquiry, with Mia’s medical training as a midwife enabling her to understand medical abbreviations and assess whether or not we should seek a medico-legal opinion.
“I offer my thoughts to the screening process from a medical point of view. My background means that I can assist with sorting medical records relating to birth injuries. I can understand the incident reported and explain this to my colleagues,” she says.
When Gita worked at Order Order, she used her broad medical background to help develop our medical records chronology system which we use today.
“I would query things that cropped up that I thought didn’t sound right, would be a cause for concern or not normal clinical practice. What I’ve always loved about medicine is looking for clues and investigating, a bit like Sherlock Holmes. You find the odd little details, the discrepancies or the obscure or unusual diagnoses.”
Translating Medical Jargon and Protocols for the Legal Team
Medical terminology can be complex, especially in high-stakes negligence cases. Our healthcare-trained team members act as a bridge, translating clinical language into clear, concise summaries for the legal team.
This helps our solicitors focus on legal strategy without missing the medical context, ultimately making the case stronger and more coherent from the start.
Gita says: “My colleague, Lynsey Furley, approached me recently with a query about NICE guidelines for shoulder dystocia from 1997. She couldn’t find any digital record, but that’s because they didn’t exist back then. Fortunately, my medical experience meant I could tell her what would have happened – and I also had textbooks I’d kept from that time that I could dig out for her to refer to.”
Gita also recently supported Christine at the inquest of Maxine Spittlehouse and is continuing to investigate a medical negligence claim on behalf of Maxine’s widower and daughter. With her interest in gynaecology and the coronial system, this has been a case where Gita’s knowledge and experience has been invaluable.
“This is one of the most shocking cases I’ve worked on. I wrote to the defendant pinpointing all the things they did wrong; it’s simply appalling and should never have happened. Even a lay person reading the evidence would work out that something was seriously wrong with Maxine, even if they didn’t know what.
“The doctors didn’t act appropriately and ignored the nursing team who raised concerns. Even as a junior doctor, I remember questioning decisions of senior staff. There’s too much at stake if things go wrong, so you do have to go with your gut for the safety of your patients.”
Bridging Two Worlds: Legal Advocacy Rooted in Clinical Empathy
What ties Gita, Zarqaa and Mia together is more than a shared background in healthcare. It’s a deep empathy for clients who are often traumatised, confused, and mistrustful of the medical system.
Having been on the inside, they know the pressures healthcare workers face, but also the standards that should never be compromised.
Mia says: “Since I began working in the medical negligence sector, I was shocked by the sheer number of enquiries we get on a daily basis. While working in healthcare, I was under the impression that, while things did sometimes result in a poor outcome, I was led to believe this was rare. However, working in this field has made me realise how often things can go wrong and what the consequences are.”
Many clients come to us feeling unsure of what went wrong in their care - or whether what happened to them even qualifies as negligence. Having someone on the legal team who understands the patient journey from both sides builds trust quickly.
“I built strong communication skills through patient interactions, and I now apply those skills in guiding clients through every step of their claim, ensuring they fully understand the process,” says Zarqaa. “I also actively participate in mooting, which involves simulating court proceedings to develop my advocacy skills, and have contributed to my university’s legal advice clinic, providing guidance to clients who couldn’t afford legal representation.”
Clients dealing with the effects of medical negligence are often confused, overwhelmed, and emotionally drained. Our team communicate with empathy, use language that puts clients at ease, and take the time to explain what’s happening in a way that feels supportive rather than intimidating.
That human connection makes a big difference in a difficult process. It helps clients feel seen, heard, and supported by people who genuinely understand what they’ve been through.
“The thing that’s disappointed me most since working at Medical Solicitors is how much things have changed in the NHS. It’s much more adversarial and there’s a real lack of accountability. I’ve been surprised by the lack of compassion and empathy. Doctors no longer seem to be putting themselves in patients’ shoes,” says Gita.
“We’re seeing consistent themes with things like poor communication with patients, which is a big concern. There have been many cases here at Medical Solicitors where things weren’t explained properly to a patient, resulting in harm.”
Along with her career in medicine, Gita also has a personal experience of poor medical care. Her father died due to negligent care and his cause of death was incorrectly recorded as a heart attack instead of a pulmonary embolism. She now gives advice to claimants about the importance of having the correct cause of death on a death certificate as this cannot be changed once recorded.
“My father had been on a geriatric ward as an inpatient and was awaiting discharge when my mother arrived to find him dead in bed. He was sitting up in bed looking dishevelled, his hair unkempt and his head flopped to one side. She’d been a nurse, so she knew he was dead before she even touched him. She told the nursing team who looked at her blankly, then she had to watch them try to resuscitate him. It was horrific.
“When I first started working here, I had a bit of a moral conflict in some way as the healthcare professionals we were suing had been my people for many years. But what happened to my father made me look at things differently. It galvanised me to continue with this as a career and help other people get closure.”
Thinking About a Career Change?
If you’re a healthcare professional thinking about transitioning into law, our team would encourage you to explore it.
“Recognise and value the transferable skills you already possess such as communication, ethical awareness, attention to detail and the ability to remain calm under pressure. These qualities are not only relevant but highly respected in the legal field,” says Zarqaa. “It’s also important to stay curious and open minded as both law and healthcare are professions built on continuous learning and a commitment to serving others.”
Mia adds: “I was mostly surprised by how friendly the team are here at Medical Solicitors given how busy everyone is. You often find that working in the NHS exposes you to a lot of negativity. I love how flexible our firm is and how much they promote a healthy work life balance.”