by Dr Sam Thenabadu & Carly Cotton
Dr Sam Thenabadu – Consultant in Adult & Paediatric Emergency Medicine
Programme Director, MBBS, GKT School of Medicine, King’s College London
Reader in Medical Education | Honorary Consultant in Adult & Paediatric Emergency Medicine
Clinical Expert in Emergency and Event Medicine
With over two decades of frontline clinical experience in high-pressure, multidisciplinary environments, Dr Sam Thenabadu brings exceptional breadth and depth to his work as a medico-legal expert witness. Dual-trained in Adult and Paediatric Emergency Medicine, his clinical career has spanned major trauma centres, tertiary paediatric hospitals, and large-scale international public events such as marathons, concerts and sporting fixtures, giving him a unique perspective on acute care across all age groups and settings.
“Excellent clinical standards and a mantra of prioritising the highest levels of governance mean that report writing, and clinical documentation are integral to my daily practice,” he explains. “I take pride in producing clear, evidence-based, and clinically relevant assessments that support safe patient care and informed decision-making.”
For Dr Thenabadu, expert witness work represents a natural extension of that commitment.
“I enjoy the intellectual rigour of medico-legal work, applying my clinical expertise, leadership experience, and understanding of systems and human factors to help courts and legal teams navigate complex medical scenarios. Ultimately, this work allows me to contribute to justice, improve standards, and advocate for clarity and fairness for both patients and healthcare professionals.”
Areas of Expertise
Adult & Paediatric Emergency Medicine
- Assessment and management of acute medical, surgical, speciality and trauma presentations in adults and children
- Emergency department systems, triage, and escalation protocols
- Pre-hospital clinical care
- Recognition and management of deteriorating patients
- Paediatric safeguarding and non-accidental injury
- Missed or delayed diagnoses in emergency settings
- Consent and capacity in emergency care
- Documentation standards and clinical decision-making
Event Medicine
- Pre-hospital care and medical planning for mass gatherings and public events
- Crowd safety, medical risk assessment, and emergency response protocols
- Inter-agency coordination (ambulance, police, fire, private providers)
- On-site triage and treatment standards
- Governance and clinical oversight of event medical teams
Clinical Leadership & Systems
- Duty of care and clinical accountability in NHS and private settings
- Human factors, team dynamics, and decision-making under pressure
- Incident investigation, root-cause analysis, and learning from adverse events
- Training, supervision, and competency frameworks for doctors and allied health professionals
- Service design and quality improvement in emergency care
Why Choose Dr Thenabadu?
Dr Thenabadu offers a rare combination of clinical breadth, leadership experience, and academic expertise. As Programme Director and Reader in Medical Education at King’s College London, he plays a key role in shaping the next generation of doctors, ensuring that governance, communication, and accountability remain central to professional practice.
His dual accreditation in Adult and Paediatric Emergency Medicine, alongside multiple Royal College qualifications, enables him to provide authoritative opinions across a wide spectrum of cases, including those involving vulnerable patients and complex systemic factors.
He is CPR Part 35–compliant and acts for both claimant and defendant, with experience as a courtroom and joint expert.
Those who instruct Dr Thenabadu value his:
- Clear, structured communication with instructing parties
- Timely, well-reasoned reports grounded in current clinical practice and national guidance (typically delivered within two weeks)
- Transparency about the scope of expertise and case suitability
- Responsiveness to queries and requests for clarification
- Professional integrity, including willingness to provide initial screening opinions and pro bono consultations where appropriate
When you instruct Dr Thenabadu, you gain a committed expert who understands both the clinical realities and systemic complexities of emergency care. He takes pride in supporting legal processes with clarity, fairness, and precision, ensuring that every opinion contributes to justice, learning, and the highest standards of patient care.
Contact: 0161 218 0223
e: info@exp-w.com