Terms and Conditions of Instruction

Medicolegal services  ·  Version 2026.1  ·  Last updated October 2026

1. Parties and application

1. These terms apply to all medicolegal work carried out by Mr Irfan Siddique, Consultant Spine Surgeon ("the Expert"), through Manchester Spines Ltd (company number 08280500, "the Company"). This includes examinations, reports, addendum reports, answers to written questions, joint statements, conferences and attendance at court.
2. "Instructing Party" means the solicitor, firm, insurer or other organisation that instructs the Expert. "Client" means the person who is to be examined, or whose case is the subject of the report.
3. Booking an appointment, or instructing the Expert in any other way, confirms that the Instructing Party accepts these terms. Unless the Company agrees otherwise in writing, these terms take precedence over any terms in, or sent with, a letter of instruction.

2. The Expert's duty to the court

1. The Expert's overriding duty is to help the court on matters within his expertise, under CPR Part 35, Practice Direction 35 and the Guidance for the Instruction of Experts in Civil Claims. That duty overrides any obligation to the Instructing Party or the person paying his fees.
2. Fees are not conditional on the content or conclusions of any report, or on the outcome of the case.

3. Agreeing fees and booking

1. The fee, or the hourly rate, must be agreed in writing before an appointment is booked. The online booking link is provided once that agreement is in place. When booking, the Instructing Party must confirm that the fee or hourly rate has been agreed.
2. Where a fixed fee has been agreed in writing for a particular instruction, it replaces the hourly rates in clause 7 for the work it covers.
3. Booking confirmations, appointment letters and reminders are sent by email to the Instructing Party. With the Instructing Party's confirmation that the Client consents, they are also sent directly to the Client.

4. Appointments

1. Medicolegal examinations last 30 minutes and take place at the venue shown in the booking confirmation.
2. The Client must bring photographic identification, such as a passport or driving licence. If photo ID cannot be produced, the examination will not go ahead, and this will be treated as non-attendance under clause 5.
3. If the Client needs an interpreter, the Instructing Party must arrange a suitably qualified, independent interpreter to attend, and pay for them. Family members and friends may not act as interpreters.
4. The Client may bring a chaperone or companion to the examination.
5. The Instructing Party must tell the Company, when booking, about any particular needs the Client has, including access or mobility needs.

5. Cancellation, rescheduling and non-attendance

1. Appointments may be cancelled or rescheduled free of charge with at least two working days' notice, using the link in the booking confirmation or by emailing admin@thespinaldoc.com.
2. If the Client does not attend, arrives too late to be examined, cannot produce photo ID, or the appointment is cancelled with less than two working days' notice, a non-attendance fee of £200.00 plus VAT is payable by the Instructing Party.
3. If the Instructing Party withdraws an instruction before the report is complete, the Company may charge for work already done and administrative time up to the date of withdrawal, at the rates in clause 7.

6. Instructions and medical records

1. The Instructing Party must provide the letter of instruction and all relevant medical records, including GP records, hospital records and imaging, at least 7 days before the appointment.
2. Documents should be uploaded through the secure upload link provided in the booking confirmation, or sent through the Instructing Party's own secure portal, as set out on our records page. Imaging should be provided electronically. CDs and DVDs cannot be accepted.
3. If records arrive late or incomplete, the report may be delayed or prepared on the basis of the Client's history alone, and this will be stated in the report. Reviewing records supplied after the report has been served is charged at the hourly rate in clause 7.
4. The Instructing Party will be invoiced for any costs incurred in obtaining or returning medical records, imaging or other information.

7. Fees

1. Court attendance cancellation. If a court date for which the Expert has made himself available is vacated, adjourned or cancelled, the following percentage of the court attendance fee is payable: 25% if 10 to 14 working days' notice is given; 50% if fewer than 10 working days' notice is given; 100% if fewer than 5 working days' notice is given.
2. Work outside the United Kingdom is charged at the above rates plus 50%.
3. Expenses are recharged in full. These include first-class rail travel, business-class air travel, car travel at £1.00 per mile, subcontracted work and any other expenses reasonably incurred or approved in writing by the Instructing Party.
4. VAT. All fees and expenses are subject to VAT at the prevailing rate. Manchester Spines Ltd VAT registration number: 170 4559 09.
5. Legal aid. In a legally aided case, the Instructing Party must obtain prior approval of the Expert's fees from the Legal Aid Agency before instructing the Expert.

8. Payment

1. Invoices are payable within 30 days of the invoice date. Payment is the Instructing Party's responsibility and does not depend on the outcome of the case, on any assessment of costs, or on the Instructing Party recovering costs from any other party.
2. Interest on late payments is charged at 3% a year above the Barclays Bank plc base rate in force at the time. The Company also reserves its rights under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.
3. The Company may require payment in advance before releasing a report.

9. Confidentiality

1. The Instructing Party must treat all information supplied by the Expert as confidential and use it only for the purposes of the litigation to which it relates. It must not be disclosed to any third party, except as those purposes require, without the Expert's prior written consent.

10. Data protection

1. The Company and the Instructing Party each act as an independent controller of the personal data they process under UK data protection law. The Company is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (registration ZA033870).
2. The Instructing Party confirms that it is lawfully entitled to share the Client's personal data and medical records with the Expert. It also confirms that the Client has been told the Company will process their data and may contact them directly about the appointment.
3. Personal data must be sent securely, through the secure upload link or an encrypted portal, and not by unencrypted email attachment. Details of how the Company handles personal data are in its privacy notice.

11. Liability

1. The total liability of the Expert and the Company to the Instructing Party and to the Client, whether in contract, in tort (including negligence) or otherwise, for any loss or damage arising from the Expert's services is limited to the fees received for the instruction concerned. Nothing in these terms limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud, or for any other liability that cannot be limited by law.

12. General

1. These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction.
2. The Company may update these terms from time to time. The version in force when an instruction is accepted applies to that instruction.

Manchester Spines Ltd, registered in England and Wales, company number 08280500. Registered office: Suite 2, Parkway 5, Parkway Business Centre, 300 Princess Road, Manchester M14 7HR. Enquiries: admin@thespinaldoc.com