Sir Robert Anthony Francis KC (born 4 April 1950) is a British

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include arguing cases in courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, jurisprud ...

. He specialises in medical law, including medical and mental health treatment and capacity issues,

clinical negligence Medical malpractice is a legal cause of action that occurs when a medical or health care professional, through a negligent act or omission, deviates from standards in their profession, thereby causing injury or death to a patient. The negligen ...

and professional discipline.Denis Campbell The Guardian, (30 January 2013
Robert Francis QC: the man behind the NHS Mid Staffs report
theguardian.com; accessed 11 January 2018. He has appeared as a barrister for and chaired several high-profile inquiries into medical controversies/scandals. On 21 May 2024, the UK Government announced that Francis had been appointed as the Interim Chair of the ''Infected Blood Compensation Authority'' (IBCA).

Education

Robert Francis was educated at

Uppingham School Uppingham School is a public school (English fee-charging boarding and day school for pupils 13–18) in Uppingham, Rutland, England, founded in 1584 by Robert Johnson, the Archdeacon of Leicester, who also established Oakham School. ...

, a boys' independent boarding and day school in the

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rura ...

Uppingham Uppingham is a market town and civil parish in the ceremonial county of Rutland, England, off the A47 between Leicester and Peterborough, south of Oakham. It had a population of 4,745 according to the 2011 census, estimated at 4,853 in 2019. ...

Rutland Rutland is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Leicestershire to the north and west, Lincolnshire to the north-east, and Northamptonshire to the south-west. Oakham is the largest town and county town. Rutland has a ...

, followed by the

University of Exeter The University of Exeter is a research university in the West Country of England, with its main campus in Exeter, Devon. Its predecessor institutions, St Luke's College, Exeter School of Science, Exeter School of Art, and the Camborne School of ...

, where he qualified as

Bachelor of Laws A Bachelor of Laws (; LLB) is an undergraduate law degree offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree and serves as the first professional qualification for legal practitioners. This degree requires the study of core legal subje ...

(LL.B) (Hons).

Career

Francis has been a barrister since 1973 and became a

Queen's Counsel A King's Counsel (Post-nominal letters, post-nominal initials KC) is a senior lawyer appointed by the monarch (or their Viceroy, viceregal representative) of some Commonwealth realms as a "Counsel learned in the law". When the reigning monarc ...

in 1992. He is a

Recorder Recorder or The Recorder may refer to: Newspapers * ''Indianapolis Recorder'', a weekly newspaper * ''The Recorder'' (Massachusetts newspaper), a daily newspaper published in Greenfield, Massachusetts, US * ''The Recorder'' (Port Pirie), a newsp ...

(part-time

Crown Court The Crown Court is the criminal trial court, court of first instance in England and Wales responsible for hearing all indictable offences, some Hybrid offence, either way offences and appeals of the decisions of magistrates' courts. It is ...

judge) and authorised to sit as a deputy High Court Judge. He is a governing

Bencher A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales or the Inns of Court in Northern Ireland, or the Honorable Society of King's Inns in Ireland. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher c ...

of the

Honourable Society of the Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional association for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practice as a barrister in England and Wa ...

, where he has chaired its Education and Training Committee.Sarjeants Inn Chambers Clinical Negligence & Healthcare
serjeantsinn.com; accessed 11 January 2018.

Notable inquiry work as barrister

He appeared as a barrister in inquiries for various

NHS The National Health Service (NHS) is the term for the publicly funded health care, publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom: the National Health Service (England), NHS Scotland, NHS Wales, and Health and Social Care (Northern ...

scandals: * investigation on behalf of the GMC over the activities of the disgraced

gynaecologist Gynaecology or gynecology (see American and British English spelling differences) is the area of medicine concerned with conditions affecting the female reproductive system. It is often paired with the field of obstetrics, which focuses on pre ...

Richard Neale. He was struck off in 2000 after botching operations on women for more than a decade. * the

Alder Hey organs scandal The Alder Hey organs scandal in Liverpool, England, involved the unauthorised removal, retention, and disposal of human tissue, including children's organs, during the period 1981 to 1996. Organs were retained in more than 2,000 pots"Pot", in ...

Alder Hey Children's Hospital Alder Hey Children's Hospital is a children's hospital and NHS foundation trust in West Derby, Liverpool, England. It is one of the largest children's hospitals in the United Kingdom, and one of several specialist hospitals within the Liverpool ...

in Liverpool, report published on 30 January 2001 * the

Bristol heart scandal The Bristol heart scandal occurred in England during the 1980s and 1990s. At the Bristol Royal Infirmary, babies died at high rates after cardiac surgery. An inquiry found "staff shortages, a lack of leadership, ... unit ... 'simply not up to ...

Bristol Royal Infirmary The Bristol Royal Infirmary (BRI) is a large teaching hospital in the centre of Bristol, England. It has links with the nearby University of Bristol and the Faculty of Health and Social Care at the University of the West of England, also in Brist ...

, report published on 18 July 2001

Notable inquiry work as chairman

He chaired various independent inquiries: * the care of Michael Stone who murdered Lin and Megan Russell, report published in 2006Jonathan Brown The Independent (6 February 2013
Robert Francis QC: the patient's champion behind Mid Staffs NHS Trust report
independent.co.uk; accessed 11 January 2018. * on behalf of

NHS London NHS London (or "London Strategic Health Authority") was a strategic health authority of the National Health Service in England. It operated in the London region, which is coterminous with the local government office region. The authority closed ...

, the care and treatment of Peter Bryan and Richard Loudwell at

Broadmoor Hospital Broadmoor Hospital is a high-security psychiatric hospital in Crowthorne, Berkshire, England. It is the oldest of England's three high-security psychiatric hospitals, the other two being Ashworth Hospital near Liverpool and Rampton Secure ...

, report published in September 2009 * the first Stafford hospital inquiry report published on 24 February 2010 * the full public Stafford Hospital scandal inquiry The inquiry began on 8 November 2010 and published on 6 February 2013.

More recent events

On 27 November 2013, it was announced that he had become the president of the

Patients Association The Patients Association is an independent charity operating in the UK that aims to improve patients' experience of healthcare. Established in 1963, it became a registered charity in 1991. The Patients Association works with patients directly: t ...

. On 4 June 2014, it was announced that he had become a non-executive board member of the

Care Quality Commission The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department of Health and Social Care of the United Kingdom. It was established in 2009 to regulate and inspect health and social care providers in England. It ...

. On 14 June 2014, it was announced that he had been knighted in the

2014 Birthday Honours The 2014 Birthday Honours were appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms of Elizabeth II, Queen Elizabeth II to Orders and decorations of the Commonwealth realms, various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens ...

. On 24 June 2014, it was announced that he would be chairing an NHS

whistleblowing Whistleblowing (also whistle-blowing or whistle blowing) is the activity of a person, often an employee, revealing information about activity within a private or public organization that is deemed illegal, immoral, illicit, unsafe, unethical or ...

review, the Freedom to Speak Up Review. The report was published on 11 February 2015. On 19 September 2018, it was announced that he would be the new Chair of

Healthwatch England Healthwatch England is a committee of the Care Quality Commission established under the Health and Social Care Act 2012, which took effect in April 2013. Its role is to gather and champion the views of users of health and social care services, ...

. On 14 June 2021, it was announced that he would lead a compensation framework study for those impacted by Contaminated Blood.

Publications by Francis

* ''Medical Treatment: Decisions and the Law'' (co-author, 2001, 2nd edition 2010)

References

External links

* Robert Francis (29 November 2011
Organisational Culture seminar: opening statement
* Laura Donnelly (10 Feb 2015

The Telegraph {{DEFAULTSORT:Francis, Robert 1950 births 20th-century King's Counsel 21st-century King's Counsel Living people Alumni of the University of Exeter British King's Counsel Knights Bachelor Medical scandals in the United Kingdom Members of the Inner Temple National Health Service people People educated at Uppingham School