MEDICO-LEGAL PRACTICE

2002 – present Current Director and practicing member of the Sport & Orthopaedic Clinic-Bristol

2017-18 President British Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society

2014-2017 Clinical Director of musculo-skeletal department at North Bristol NHS trust responsible for day to day running of the major orthopaedic unit in Bristol

2009 – 2015 Treasurer to British Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society. A subspecialist society with close to 500 members. As treasurer I sit on the executive council and am actively involved with all education, research and financial decisions of the society

2004 – present Member of AO teaching faculty, A world recognized educational organsiation responsible for setting standards in orthopaedic trauma.

I have a broad general training in the management of all musculoskeletal soft tissue and bony injuries. I am familiar with the current concepts of modern injury management in the UK. I have a current Advanced Trauma and Life Support certificate and have been trained in the advanced techniques of fracture management by the AO foundation – regarded as the worldwide authority in musculoskeletal injury. My current practice involves one day per week in the management of all orthopaedic trauma at a busy tertiary referral centre serving a population in excess of 500,000 people. I am responsible for training students & doctors in training at all levels up to specialist registrar.

Orthopaedics

My NHS and private practice covers consists entirely of the assessment & treatment of disorders in the foot & ankle. This sub speciality has developed from experience and fellowships in Bristol, Brisbane and Dallas. I see in excess of 1000 new foot & ankle referrals per year and operate on approximately 400-500 cases per year. I am proficient in all standard orthopaedic procedures in lower limb surgery and have specialist experience in arthroscopic surgery of the ankle as well as total ankle replacement.

Sports Injuries

I have extensive experience in the management of sports injuries both in the general population and in athletes. In my private practice at the Sport & Orthopaedic Clinic in Bristol I regularly assess acute and chronic sports injuries in professional athletes. I am the nominated foot and ankle expert for Gloucestershire Country Cricket Club and have seen and treated several ruby and football players from the local professional teams. I have lectured on several sports injury course both locally and nationally including to the annual meeting of the Football Association medical staff. I have published several papers as listed on the management of ostecohondral lesions, a frequent sporting related injury and the use of arthroscopy in acute injuries in the ankle.

Medico Legal

I have performed reports for medicolegal purposes since 1998. Currently I see and report on approximately 200 clients per year. My practice is approximately 50% personal injury cases and in the last year has been split 40% claimant & 60% defendant. My reports are Wolfe compliant and conform to appropriate legislation regarding such reports. I undertake negligence work in foot and ankle cases only and currently undertake approximately 100 screening reports (mainly defence) and 20- 30 full reports per year (50/50 split). I have attended court 8 times over the last 4 years. 7 cases have settled favourably. I have attended several conferences organized by the British Orthopaedic Association regarding the preparation of such reports

BOFAS Principles Course
Regular contributor and course director in October 2017 Bristol Advanced Arthroscopy Course Yearly course Co-govenor and faculty last 4 years

AO teaching faculty
Each year I teach on the AO foot & ankle injury course. Both courses are aimed at trainee orthopaedic surgeons to help them establish sound principles of the management of basic and complex fractures.

Stanmore Foot & Ankle Course
A yearly course aimed at senior orthopaedic trainees with a specialist interest in foot & ankle surgery. Each year I attend to deliver at least one lecture.

Guilford arthroscopy course
An advanced techniques course for experienced surgeons wishing to develop skills in advanced ankle and foot arthroscopy. I have been a senior faculty member for 6 year

Educational Supervisor
I supervise on a day to day basis the training of one registrar and two junior level orthopaedic trainees.

Instructing solicitors shall treat all information supplied to them as confidential and shall not disclose indirectly or directly or otherwise use this information except for the purpose of the specified litigation.

Instructing solicitors shall be responsible for giving adequate instructions and shall check also that all matters are covered in reports.

Mr Hepple does not undertake home or prison visits but under exceptional circumstances will travel to other cities to examine claimants.

Mr Hepple undertakes personal injury work in all areas of orthopaedic trauma. He is happy to undertake clinical negligence reports in his area of super specialisation – foot and ankle.

Fees

Fee for initial preparation of a standard personal injury medico-legal report is £400-600+Vat. Complex reports and negligence reports are undertaken at his hourly rate. Estimates of cost can be provided on a case by case basis.

All subsequent work, including teleconferences and conference in chambers will be charged at an hourly rate of £250+Vat.

Attendance at court will be charged at £1200+vat per half day.

Travel expenses will be payable at first class rail travel or car mileage at £0.80 per mile.

Cancellation

Charge for cancellation within 4 days of appointment £25
Charge for cancellation within 24 hours of appointment £50
Charge for failure to attend appointment £75

Charge for cancellation of court attendance within 8 weeks of court date 20% of fee
Charge for cancellation of court attendance within 14 days of court date 40% of fee
Charge for cancellation within 7 days of court date 75% of fee
Charge for cancellation within 48 hours of court date 100% of fee

Attendance in Court

Will be in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Law Society “Code of Practice for Medico-Legal Reports in Personal Injury Cases” January 1995.