Dr Amy Hamm

Dr Hamm is currently Clinical Director for SARC services across Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Dorset. Dr Hamm is also employed as an adult and paediatric examiner within the Devon and Cornwall Paediatric Centre of Excellence and Adult SARC services. Her current practice consists of managerial clinical governance and quality responsibilities as well as direct clinical care.
Prior to this, Dr Hamm has experience working as a speciality doctor in Obstetrics & Gynaecology, as well as in acute general paediatrics (including level 2 neonates); which is she developed an interest in child protection and safeguarding that lead to her specialism in forensic medicine. As well as managing acute paediatric cases, paediatric emergencies and neonates, the role also included undertaking child protection medical examinations.

Dr Hamm has extensive experience in completing child protection examinations, including fabricated and induced illness, complex presentations, neglect, physical abuse and sexual abuse. She regularly writes child protection reports and statements for these examinations as well as regularly peer reviews statements written by other healthcare practitioners as part of quality assurance.

Dr Hamm’s clinical interests lie within sexual offence forensic medicine, adult and child safeguarding, and paediatrics.

Dr Hamm collaborated with the Forensic Capability Network and developed a known outcome competency assessment using UV dyes to train and assess competence for healthcare practitioners that are completing intimate forensic sampling. The paper has been peer reviewed and is awaiting publication. Dr Hamm has also undertaken initial scoping for further research regarding the prevalence of iatrogenic injury during paediatric female genital examination.

Dr Hamm's initial management role was overseeing sexual offence examiners across the counties of Devon, Cornwall, Avon and Somerset. This role was expanded to include sexual offence examiners attending SARCs within Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. While running the Southwest SOE service, she was the CQC registered manager. The role increased to include the county of Dorset and later to a national role across all G4S Health SARC services. These roles include teaching and training, direct line management of staff, investigating adverse events, clinical governance and quality including regularly undertaking and supervising others undertaking audits. Dr Hamm is also a senior board member of the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine (FFLM). As Treasurer, she is involved in financial and budget management including investments.

Dr Hamm has written research papers in various areas of forensic medicinde as well as published a book chapter in the Encyclopaedia of Forensic Medicine 3rd Edition (2024) on custody medicine.

Dr Hamm designed and delivered FFLM accredited induction programs for sexual offence examiners. She has also delivered presentations at conferences including Sexual Violence and the Night Time Economy, Signs of Abuse in Older Persons and Recognising Signs of Child Sexual abuse. Dr Hamm is also an examiner for the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine membership and licentiate examinations. This has including being involved in designing questions, reviewing questions, Angoffing and OSCE examinations.