Steve Atkinson
Senior Associate
London
steve.atkinson@brownejacobson.com
+44 (0)20 7871 8515
Steve advises on decision-making and vires issues, and supports healthcare clients with judicial review, investigations, information law matters and public inquiries. He regularly advises on complex governance and public law issues.
Steve has been supporting health and care systems to establish Integrated Care Boards, Integrated Care Partnerships, provider collaboratives and place-based governance. This has included drafting and advising, and working with stakeholders, on constitutional documents, terms of reference, and other arrangements for the lawful and efficient delegation of functions. He has undertaken wholesale policy reviews and rewrites for a number of ICBs and has done a considerable amount of work to assist NHS organisations to understand and map their statutory and policy functions.
Steve has developed broad public law experience having been with the firm since 2016. He has carried out a number of secondments on-site at public sector clients’ offices to assist with audits, investigations, litigation, casework and contract reviews. He was also involved in a number of high-profile independent investigations involving local authorities and some of the leading cases in the professional regulatory sphere.
Expertise
Featured experience
CCG decision-making
Conducting an independent investigation and governance review in relation to a commissioning decision taken by a CCG. Reported on the compliance of the decision, and the process which led to it, with the patient choice framework, commissioning duties under the NHS Act, public law principles and the conflicts of interest framework.
Covid-19 service change
Advised a number of NHS providers and commissioners on decision-making relating to temporary emergency service changes in light of the Covid-19 pandemic and considerations for long term service-configuration.
Data protection
Assisting a medico-legal insurer to defend claims brought by a clinic and a patient against one of its insured members (a consultant psychiatrist) relating to alleged breaches of data protection legislation, confidentiality, breach of Article 8 ECHR and the tort of misuse of private information
Complex public law advice
Advising a number of CCGs on the scope of patient choice regime, including dealing with challenges by private providers.
Testimonials
"Steve Atkinson – responsive, intelligent, always delivers and helps to solve complex challenges."
