Professor Andrew Korda is a leading urogynecologist with extensive experience in pelvic floor conditions and medico-legal matters. In this episode of The Consult, he discusses his journey into urogynecology, his work across medical negligence, work-related injuries and complex mesh claims, and the importance of making complex medical evidence clear and accessible to lawyers and courts. He also shares insights into preparing effective Letters of Instruction, reviewing medical records and the role of independent specialist expertise in medico-legal assessments.

Prof Andrew Korda is a specialist urogynaecologist with extensive experience in pelvic floor medicine and medico-legal practice. She joins Hanna on The Consult to share her journey from obstetrics and gynaecology into urogynaecology and, later, medico-legal work. We discuss the role of urogynaecology in assessing conditions such as pelvic organ prolapse, urinary and faecal incontinence and pelvic floor dysfunction, as well as how these conditions can feature in injury and medical negligence matters. Prof Korda also reflects on complex cases, including mesh claims, and the challenges of explaining detailed medical evidence in a way that is clear and useful to lawyers and the court. We explore the importance of well-structured Letters of Instruction, navigating extensive medical records and asking the right questions when seeking a specialist opinion. A great listen for lawyers, case managers and claims professionals working on matters involving women’s health and complex medico-legal assessments.

Dr Christopher Kwan is a neurologist with an interest in the practical problem-solving and complexity that make neurology such a diverse specialty. He joins Hanna on The Consult to discuss his journey into neurology and his experience working in the medico-legal space. We explore the range of matters that can come before a neurologist, including workplace and motor vehicle accidents, post-head injury symptoms, chronic pain and questions of causation. Dr Kwan explains why neurology can involve significant grey areas, where imaging and investigations may not provide a definitive answer and need to be considered alongside the clinical history and examination. He also discusses the distinction between neurology and neurosurgery, what makes a clear and readable medico-legal report, and why concise Letters of Instruction can make it easier to answer the questions that matter. A valuable listen for lawyers, case managers and claims professionals working on matters involving neurological conditions and complex medico-legal questions.

Dr Sakhee Kotecha is a respiratory, sleep and lung transplant physician with more than 15 years in the field. She joins Hanna on The Consult to talk about what drew her from transplant medicine into the medico-legal space and why sleep and respiratory assessments are among the harder ones to get right.We cover why sleep medicine extends well beyond sleep apnoea into insomnia and parasomnias, and the interplay of weight gain, respiratory suppressant medication and sleep-disordered breathing after an injury. Dr Kotecha also walks through occupational lung disease, including silica, organic solvents and the emerging link between workplace exposure and autoimmune lung conditions, plus how she approaches apportionment when smoking and occupational exposure sit side by side.There are also practical notes on what makes a workable letter of instruction, from clear questions over broad ones to which records genuinely change an opinion on the balance of probabilities. A great listen for lawyers, case managers and claims professionals briefing respiratory or sleep matters.

Maxillofacial surgery sits in a place no other specialty does — the only practitioners in Australia required to hold both a dental degree and a medical degree. In this episode of The Consult, Hanna Barclay is joined by Dr David Sherring, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon and past president of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.Dr Sherring traces a path that began with a dental degree he didn't much enjoy, took him into the army and a deployment to Rwanda, and led him back to medicine.The conversation turns practical on briefs. Dr Sherring talks through the material he most often finds missing: dental records from before the injury, and psychological diagnoses in matters where a temporomandibular disorder is said to have a psychological origin.For lawyers, insurers and claims professionals briefing in the maxillofacial space, this episode is a clear guide to what belongs in the brief and which questions this specialty is actually positioned to answer.

A first aid course in high school is what pointed Dr Mark Nabarro at medicine. Orthopaedics came halfway through training, hands came from a term at a Macquarie Street hand unit, and a mentor's phone call sent him to Indianapolis for a year. He's now an orthopaedic surgeon whose practice focuses on the hand and wrist, and he joins Aus Hub Director Hanna Barclay to talk about that path and what it's like to build medico-legal work alongside a clinical and operating list.

In this episode we cover where orthopaedic hand work and plastic and reconstructive work overlap and where they don't, and the mix that comes through the door — tradies, angle grinders and chainsaws at one end, arthritis and carpal tunnel at the other, and the bloke on the ladder who nobody talks out of it.

Dr Nabarro walks through his examination room; he also makes the case for a better brief: full clinical history, prior examinations, other opinions, and specific questions rather than the same question asked four different ways.

If you brief upper limb assessments, this is a plain account of what a hand and wrist examination actually involves and how to write a referral that gets you an answer to the question you asked.

Adam Baldock didn't plan to become an occupational therapist. He started his first business at 12 cleaning chemist bottles, trained as a wedding coordinator, and was rejected by physiotherapy before finding his way into OT — a decision he's never looked back on. With 24 years of experience and a specialisation in medico-legal assessment, Adam is one of Australian Specialist Hub's most trusted OT experts.

In this episode, Hanna and Adam walk through what a thorough OT assessment actually involves — a process covering clinical interview, standardised testing, physical assessment, and a full home tour. Adam explains why assessments must happen in the home, how he builds rapport with clients who arrive defensive or distressed, and what separates an 80-page report that gets used from one that gets flipped straight to the summary. He also shares his areas of special interest: complex PTSD, institutional abuse, and autism — the last one shaped significantly by his lived experience as a parent.

Some of Adam's most memorable cases have played out in conditions most people would find overwhelming. He shares the story of a client who accused him of siding with the defence, and how a three-hour visit and a quiet cup of coffee turned things around. Then there's the NDIS assessment in a home where cockroaches crawled across him mid-interview. His approach in both? Stay calm, stay present, and keep building the picture.

If you're an OT sitting on the fence about medico-legal work, or a lawyer or case manager who wants to understand what a high-quality OT assessment actually involves, Adam gives you the honest, practical picture.

In this episode of The Consult, we sit down with occupational therapist Madelaine DeFazio to explore what it really means to practise OT in the medico-legal space. Madelaine shares how her career took a turn from exercise science to OT — and why she's never looked back after eight years in the field.

We unpack the difference between functional capacity assessments and activities of daily living assessments, what referring lawyers and case managers should know before sending a client Madelaine's way, and why she believes quality over quantity is non-negotiable — even if that means 20-plus hours on a single report.

Madelaine also opens up about the cases that have stayed with her, including one extraordinary individual who turned a life-altering injury into a platform for disability advocacy.

Whether you're a lawyer, case manager, or a fellow OT considering a move into medico-legal work — a must-listen for anyone in the medico-legal space.

In this episode of the Consult, we sit down with Dr. Ameya Kamat — neurosurgeon, trailblazer and one of Aus Hub's IMEs.

Dr. Kamat finished high school at 14, trained across South Africa, the Caribbean, the US, and Australia, and now splits his time between the Northern Territory and private practice — bringing world-class neurosurgical care to some of the most remote communities in the country.

We cover his work practising neurosurgery in the desert, a training program teaching general surgeons emergency brain surgery in Alice Springs, and why he believes people in the NT deserve the same quality of healthcare as anyone else in Australia.

We also get into the medical-legal space — what's consistently misunderstood, why integrity matters above all else, and the real difference between neurosurgeons and orthopaedic surgeons when it comes to spinal surgery.

A conversation that cuts through the complexity of neurosurgery, medical-legal reporting, and what it really means to practise medicine in remote Australia.

In this episode of the Consult, we sit down with Dr. Ameya Kamat — neurosurgeon, trailblazer and one of Aus Hub's IMEs.

Dr. Kamat finished high school at 14, trained across South Africa, the Caribbean, the US, and Australia, and now splits his time between the Northern Territory and private practice — bringing world-class neurosurgical care to some of the most remote communities in the country.

We cover his work practising neurosurgery in the desert, a training program teaching general surgeons emergency brain surgery in Alice Springs, and why he believes people in the NT deserve the same quality of healthcare as anyone else in Australia.

We also get into the medical-legal space — what's consistently misunderstood, why integrity matters above all else, and the real difference between neurosurgeons and orthopaedic surgeons when it comes to spinal surgery.

A conversation that cuts through the complexity of neurosurgery, medical-legal reporting, and what it really means to practise medicine in remote Australia.