Nadia Whittaker

Inquests & Public Inquiries

Nadia has considerable interest in the coronial jurisdiction and benefits from experience of shadow sitting with HM Coroner for South Yorkshire West District Mr Christopher Dorries in 2015, which enabled her to understand how the Coroners approach their role, particularly, the decision-making about the holding of the inquest, commissioning a post-mortem or other investigation as well as considerations that impact on the scope of the inquest, selection of witnesses and the involvement of the Jury.  Nadia is regularly instructed to attend inquests considering death in clinical settings and Care Homes.

Nadia’s extensive experience of Care Home inquests covers a whole of range of situations: pressure sores, choking, trips, slips and falls, deficiencies in nutrition and hydration, failure to supervise, absconding, administration of incorrect medication, failure to seek timely medical attention and assault by residents/carers. She is instructed by Care Homes or NHS Trusts who are often an interested party in this situation, particularly, where a subsequent civil claim is a real possibility. She delivers pragmatic and focussed advice at the investigation stage and is effective in safeguarding her clients’ interests at the inquest.

Nadia also regularly represents families, particularly in situation where death is a result of self-inflicted harm associated with a mental health issue. In 2017, Nadia represented a family of Francesca Whyatt, a 17-year-old who was one of the quadruplets. Francesca had

been detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 for treatment of a borderline personality disorder at the Priory Roehampton hospital and during a period of treatment that lasted less than 12 months was allowed to inflict upon herself numerous injuries. On the day of her death there were numerous failures in her care such that she was able to apply a fatal ligature using her own tights. Following a 3 week-long inquest with other interested parties, namely the Priory group, the hospital management, individual clinicians and HSE all being separately represented by senior Counsel, Nadia helped the family to secure the conclusion that the deceased’s death was contributed to by neglect. In 2022, the HSE prosecuted Priory Healthcare Ltd who pleaded guilty to failing to discharge a duty under Section 3(1) Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

Nadia is currently involved in an inquest on behalf of the family due to be heard in the Cheshire Coroner’s Court, which also involves apparent suicide of a patient taking place shortly after being discharged from hospital following an earlier attempt to take his own life.

Selected Cases

Awards

Qualifications, Appointments and Awards

•  Bar Vocational Course (Outstanding) at the College of Law, 2006-7
• LLB (First Class Honours) awarded by the College of Law, 2007
• Graduate Diploma in Law (Distinction) at the College of Law, 2004-6
• MA in Medical Law and Ethics (Merit) at King’s College London, 2002-4
• BSc in Psychology (First Class Honours) at Westminster University, 1999-2002
• Princess Royal Scholar and Exhibitioner, Inner Temple, 2006

Articles

• “Don’t quote me” – a sorry tale of a witness statement that was a carbon copy of the pleading and other failings.
• Nadia Whittaker successfully resists an appeal of the dismissal of the claim against a plastic surgeon concerning aftercare following an abdominoplasty.

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News

• Nadia Whittaker successfully resists an appeal of the dismissal of the claim against a plastic surgeon concerning aftercare following an abdominoplasty.
• Mitigation, taxation and assessment of loss: how to win most of the legal arguments but recover less than 10% of a £33 million claim

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Memberships

• PIBA