Michelle Caton-Richards

Qualifications

MSc Advanced Healthcare Practice , PG Cert, Independent Prescribing , Dip HE Adult Nursing

Specialisms

• Emergency Nurse Practitioner,
• Accident & Emergency,
• Minor Injuries,
• Triage

Introduction

I qualified as a Registered Nurse in 2003 and have spent most of my clinical career in the accident and emergency department, and more recently, in the urgent and unscheduled care setting. During my career I have worked in many different emergency departments in London, Surrey, Berkshire and Lincolnshire, a deliberate attempt to gain as much varied experience as possible. 

In 2009 I qualified as an emergency nurse practitioner and then subsequently as an advanced nurse practitioner (ANP). I completed my prescribing course in 2014, and achieved distinction for the Masters degree in advanced practice in 2019. Since leaving my substantive post in the NHS in 2017 I have worked as a locum in many different unscheduled care settings such as walk in centres, urgent care centres, minor injury units, GP streaming services and out of hours settings. The autonomous ANP role includes: history taking, examination, diagnosing and treating adults and children with a wide range of minor injuries and minor illness, and referring to speciality teams as required.

I currently work for Somek and Associates as the deputy lead for quality assurance and training (liability). This role involves providing quality assurance and training to new associates, to develop their role as a confident and competent expert witness, as well as responsibilities pertaining to the wider business, such as recruitment, client engagement and process development. I also continue to maintain my own expert witness work through Somek and Associates. I maintain my clinical credibility through working regular locum shifts as an ANP. I love to teach and inspire, and was proud to have recently been involved in the roll out of the Community Pharmacy Consultation Service within Primary Care Networks. My role in this project involved teaching community pharmacists nationwide how to take a detailed history from patients, and how to undertake various clinical skills. During the Covid pandemic, I worked as a Covid vaccinator, assisting in the vaccination programme in my local area.

I keep myself updated, through attending courses and ensuring that I am aware of developments in my field through reading and researching evidence based practice. I have had articles published in the Emergency Nurse Journal and in 2018 spoke at a conference at the Royal College of Physicians to medical negligence solicitors.

I accept instructions from both Claimant and Defendant Solicitors and Insurers. I have undergone formal training in the medico-legal process and am fully aware of my responsibilities under the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) pertaining to Expert Witnesses.