Andrew Colman

Professional Discipline

Andrew is a leading junior of great intellect and experience, held in high esteem for his fairness and integrity and for his particular ability to cut through complex issues of fact or law in order to get to the heart of the matter.

For the past fifteen years he has specialised exclusively in the area of professional discipline, establishing a solid reputation as one of the foremost practitioners in the field. He formerly presented some of the GMC’s most serious and substantial cases, but now deploys his expertise in the defence of doctors, dentists and other healthcare professionals at the MPTS, GDC, HCPTS and elsewhere. He is commonly instructed in lengthy and complex Fitness to Practise cases. He also acts for and advises regulators (for example, the GOC and GPhC) and registrants in other professions, such as solicitors.

Andrew appears regularly in the High Court, on statutory appeals, judicial reviews and ancillary matters. He is well equipped for such work by his previous experience of appellate advocacy, up to the highest levels (Privy Council/ House of Lords) and his past history of practice in extradition.

Andrew also lectures and publishes articles on the subject of professional discipline and has provided training in the field to FTP Panelists, expert witnesses and other advocates.

Notable Cases:

GMC v Mr Desai

Andrew represented a very senior consultant surgeon and former Clinical Director, accused of allowing the colorectal polyps of a private patient he was keeping under surveillance for many years to develop into rectal cancer through gross neglect. His defence was that the cancer was a new and unusually rapid development, unrelated to the previous polyps. Despite being unable to call any expert support for this view, to counter the expert evidence of the GMC, Andrew persuaded the MPTS to find in his favour and the case concluded with no finding of misconduct or further action.

GMC v Dr Rowles

Andrew represented a senior consultant physician and former Clinical Director, accused of allowing an 82-year-old patient to die of sepsis, without appropriate treatment or consent, and subsequently making false entries and lying about it to the family, the hospital enquiry and the Coroner. After the Medical Practitioners Tribunal cleared her of all the allegations of dishonesty, they found her admitted clinical failings to be fully remediated and took no further action. Subsequently, the Hospital Trust’s MHPS proceedings were also closed without a hearing, bringing an end to over 8 years of investigations.

GMC v Dr Cadman

Andrew represented a consultant radiologist, accused of rape by his former fiancée (also a doctor) and domestic violence by another former girlfriend (a police officer) and similar psychopathically controlling behaviour, amounting to mental cruelty by both. After a fully contested 3-week hearing, none of the serious factual allegations were found proved and the Tribunal found no misconduct or impairment.

GMC v Dr Chopra

Case involving multiple probity and performance allegations against a doctor, concluded after 3 years of tortuous proceedings before the GMC, NHSE and the High Court, in a finding of no impairment and no warning.

HCPC v B

Andrew represented a senior Hearing Aid Dispenser accused of misconduct in respect of audiometry performed on an elderly patient with tinnitus. After a hearing involving complex expert evidence on both sides, the Registrant was completely vindicated by a finding that the case against her was not well founded at the Grounds stage. The case against her was thereby closed.

MPTS v Karim

Andrew successfully defended top robotic assisted urological surgeon  Omer Karim. Mr Karim is acknowledged as an innovative leader in his field and was voted to be one of the top ten prostate cancer surgeons in the UK. He faced allegations of intimidating and threatening behaviour, dating back over four years and originating from a dispute within his NHS Trust, after Mr Karim was a whistle-blower to Monitor. All of those contested allegations were found not proved.

GDC v Kumar

Andrew appeared on behalf of the dentist.

He represented a leading Harley Street provider of Invisalign orthodontic treatment accused of misconduct by providing substandard treatment and misleading information. The dentist was cleared of the probity allegations and no impairment was found.

GMC v Dr Pandya

Andrew appeared on behalf of the doctor.

Allegation of misconduct by performing a cosmetic labia reduction with a result equivalent to female genital mutilation (FGM). After an extended hearing, the doctor was cleared and his fitness to practice found not impaired.

GMC v B

Andrew appeared on behalf of the doctor.

Representing a leading transplant surgeon accused of marking his initials on a patient’s liver, Andrew persuaded the Interim Orders Panel to make no order in the face of a submission that he should be suspended. The novel urgent High Court application to terminate an immediate order for conditional registration and subsequent successful appeal against the finding of misconduct. allegation had attracted worldwide media attention.

Bhavsar v GDC

Andrew appeared on behalf of the dentist.

Novel urgent High Court application to terminate an immediate order for conditional registration and subsequent successful appeal against the finding of misconduct.