Especially prevalent in advising NHS providers and CCGs, Bevan Brittan LLP is regularly instructed to assist with governance, regulatory, and transactional matters in addition to disputes, employment advice, and data protection mandates. Team head Sharon Renouf and Rosemary Jago are especially active in advising on procurement matters for NHS clients, with the former also having considerable experience in PFI contracts. Health, social care and senior living specialist Vincent Buscemi has a wealth of knowledge spanning corporate joint ventures and M&A, while ‘absolute star’ Hannah Taylor specialises in mental health, safeguarding, and incident response work, together with special educational needs and disability cases. Anna Davies has experience in a range of public law mandates.

Having recently represented NHS England in the Covid-19 inquiry, DAC Beachcroft LLP‘s comprehensive team is involved in a number of high-profile engagements across the public and private health sectors. Alongside inquiries, the practice has extensive experience spanning regulatory enforcement matters, commercial and public procurement work, medtech issues and infrastructure transactions. Based in Bristol, Corinne Slingo is a key name for national healthcare regulatory matters, alongside Louise Wiltshire. ‘Astute solicitor’ Rachel Roberts-Jenkins leads the national clinical risk team, an area in which Hannah Volpe also excels. Katy Horner leads on health employment mandates, while corporate matters are deftly handled by James Reed. Public law expert Alistair Robertson is another highly skilled practitioner, and Simon Perkins is highlighted for his expertise advising insurers on medical malpractice cases, whereas Stan Campbell has additional breadth on health and social care real estate work. Emma Jane-Dalley assists charities, hospices, and other groups, and Sarah Woods focuses on mental health cases and inquests.

Representing a diverse blend of NHS trusts, GP practices, charities, private providers, and individuals, Ashfords LLP‘s healthcare and life sciences practice is prominent for advising on investments and M&A, handling court of protections proceedings, and providing property and employment advice across the South West. The team has also been active in a number of mandates surrounding digital health investments, an area bolstered by the firm’s venture capital practice. Transaction and private equity expert Jocelyn Ormond and health and charity real estate specialist Ben Tarrant lead the department from Bristol. Dividing her time between Exeter and Taunton, Katie Webber is particularly noteworthy for her experience in court of protection proceedings, with Exeter’s Kirsty Cooke being a key port of call for employment and immigration mandates. In the digital health space, Bristol-based senior associate Brett Lambe is of note.

Handling a wide array of health and social care matters, Browne Jacobson LLP’s experienced practice supports a large selection of NHS and local authority clients on mandates spanning integrated care systems, governance arrangements, inquests and regulatory compliance issues. The team is co-led by Gerard Hanratty in Manchester and Mark Barnett in Exeter, the latter of which is an experienced litigator with expertise covering clinical negligence claims and inquests, especially those arising against mental health providers. Bridget Prosser, also in Exeter, is experienced in employment matters.

Burges Salmon LLP’s comprehensive healthcare team fields specialists in the contract, regulatory, and procurement spaces as well as experts in disputes and health care real estate. Acting for public and private sector clients, the team has also grown its health tech expertise, often assisting with the entry of new products to the UK market. Patrick Parkin leads the team, specialising in contract, procurement and regulatory matters, while on the contentious side, Richard Binns has a strong track record in procurement and healthcare disputes. Lucy Pegler brings additional depth to the practice through her focus on healthcare technology, including the surrounding data protection compliance issues. Senior associate Rory Trust is highlighted for his contractual, regulatory, and outsourcing experience, and Paul Doherty handles real estate work including purpose-built care home issues, portfolio sales and care facility acquisitions.

Osborne Clarke LLP stands out for assisting with PFI contracts, acting for public sector providers and advising private sector suppliers on NHS procurement and outsourcing matters ranging from initial bidding processes and negotiations through to challenges. Leading the regulatory procurement practice, alongside the dispute and risk group, Catherine Wolfenden is a key name in the Bristol team, while Simon Hancock has extensive experience assisting with sizeable PFIs and SPVs, and infrastructure and outsourcing procurement matters. Reshma Adkin covers a range of regulatory matters and investigations, with Kate Davies specialising in public procurement work including matters involving NHS digitalisation.

Lester Aldridge LLP’s ‘extremely supportive, proactive and very experienced’ team advises a diverse set of care providers, private equity funds, and individuals across civil, criminal, and public law healthcare matters. In particular, the team has seen an uptick in mandates surrounding Care Quality Commission cases. Bournemouth-based group head Laura Guntrip handles a wide range of healthcare, social, and community care mandates, while Susan Cowan is noted for her expertise in GP partnership agreements.  Bethan Dodd, located in Southampton, is particularly experienced in real estate work, and Edward Adamson assists with transactions involving GP practices and care homes, while newly promoted partner Nicole Ridgwell is recognised for her experience in regulatory and disciplinary matters.

Acting for a wide range of healthcare providers, Stephens Scown LLP advises on transactions, regulatory compliance, immigration issues, IP mandates and data protection matters across the social and primary care spaces. Helen Wallwork, praised for being ‘knowledgeable and reliable’, leads the department out of Exeter and is particularly well versed in M&A, restructuring and governance matters, regularly representing GP practices on partnership deeds and practice mergers. On the regulatory side, Stephen Panton's experience encompasses health and safety and fire compliance issues as well as HSE, CQC, police and safeguarding investigations and enforcements. Laurie Trounce, based in Truro, advises on contractual and procurement matters. Jade Kent and Tim Lane are also of note.

Particularly active in the primary care sector, VWV advises GP practices on mergers and takeovers, GP partnership arrangements, and property and funding mandates such as development agreements and leases. Based in Bristol, the team also has experience acting for care homes and dental practices together with a number of pharmaceutical and life sciences clients. Commercial property expert Ben Willis heads up the team and focuses on GP surgery developments, funding, and partnership matters, while Oliver Pool is often engaged on partnership agreements, disputes, and contracts between providers and the NHS. Gemma Pouncy and Rebecca Beardsley advise on healthcare property matters, including GP sale and leaseback transactions.