Expert Witness – Mr Richard Pole
Senior Vascular Scientist

Mr Pole accepts instructions in clinical negligence, personal injury and sports injury matters from Claimant and Defendant legal teams and insurers; in criminal proceedings from the Prosecution and Defence; and in coronial proceedings from Coroners and Interested Persons. His overriding duty as an expert witness is to the Court, and he provides independent, impartial and evidence-based opinion irrespective of the party instructing him. Drawing on his extensive clinical experience and with reference to the evidence available and relevant standards of clinical practice, Mr Pole prepares clear, robust and appropriately reasoned medico-legal reports across civil, criminal and coronial matters, including opinions on breach of duty, causation, condition and prognosis, and other issues relating to vascular injury, disease, treatment and clinical management where they fall within his area of expertise.

Mr Richard Pole is an experienced Clinical Vascular Scientist with more than 27 years’ expertise in vascular science, vascular diagnostics and vascular ultrasound. He has worked at Wythenshawe Hospital, part of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, since 1995, serving as Vascular Studies Unit Manager between 1998 and 2012 and holding the post of Operations Director from 2002. His extensive clinical practice includes the performance and interpretation of vascular ultrasound investigations, with approximately 1,800 investigations undertaken during 2021–22 alone. Mr Pole also helped develop IVS Ltd, where he has led a team of more than 50 Clinical Vascular Scientists delivering over 80,000 vascular investigations annually across North West England. Under this development, IVS became the first vascular diagnostic service in the UK to achieve UKAS accreditation, reflecting Mr Pole’s experience in clinical vascular diagnostics, service leadership, quality standards and the delivery of accredited vascular ultrasound services.

Mr Pole has particular clinical interests in carotid and cardiac surgery, cerebral perfusion and associated cerebral injury, and mycotic aneurysms. His areas of interest encompass carotid and cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular complications, cerebral blood flow and perfusion, vascular infection and the assessment of infected (mycotic) aneurysms.

Mr Pole has a particular interest in the use of 3D ultrasound for the assessment and diagnosis of vascular disease, alongside cardiovascular disease, vascular health and physical fitness. His academic interests also encompass peripheral arterial disease and aneurysmal disease. In 2007, he presented a paper on the differential diagnosis of infrapopliteal aneurysms at the Society for Vascular Technology (SVT) National Conference.

Mr Pole has authored a number of publications across vascular and cardiovascular medicine, with research covering cerebral perfusion and cerebral injury, carotid endarterectomy, stroke, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and subclavian vein thrombosis. His published work reflects expertise in cerebrovascular disease, arterial and venous thrombosis, cerebral blood flow and vascular pathology.

1998-2004: Member of the SVT Education Committee
1999-2003: Practical accreditation examiner for SVT
1999-2003: SVT representative of the Consortium for the Accreditation of Sonographic
Education (CASE)
2000-2005: CASE course accreditor
2000-2006: Honorary CASE Secretary
Attended and presented at European Society of Vascular Surgery meetings in Lyon (2017), Valencia (2018) and Hamburg (2019) and Rome (2022) as Academic Convenor.