Spotlight on Wendie Smith

Wendie Smith: Advanced Nursing Practitioner

In clinical negligence and personal injury litigation, cases involving nursing care often present unique complexities that require highly specialised expert input. Selecting the right expert witness for these cases is crucial. Their clinical expertise, combined with their ability to interpret complex patient records and apply relevant standards of care, forms the foundation of reliable expert opinion.

One of the most experienced and respected nursing expert witnesses in this field is Wendie Smith. An Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Non-Medical Prescriber and Queen’s Nurse, Wendie has been providing expert witness services since 2018. Her clinically informed reports have supported both Claimant and Defendant solicitors across a wide range of healthcare cases.

Clinical Experience Built on Over Two Decades of Practice

Wendie’s extensive nursing experience, spanning over twenty years, provides a comprehensive platform from which she assesses standards of care. Her work is particularly valuable in cases where nursing care plays a central role in questions of breach of duty, causation, and clinical accountability.

Since qualifying as a nurse in 1999, Wendie has worked across a diverse range of clinical environments. She holds additional qualifications as a Non-Medical Prescriber, an Advanced Nurse Practitioner, and diplomas in Diabetes, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, and Sexual and Reproductive Health. Her clinical background includes general practice, district and community nursing, care home settings, urgent care, and NHS 111 telephone triage.

This breadth allows her to assess a wide range of cases with insight into the realities of frontline nursing, where care is often delivered by multiple teams across different care settings. Her familiarity with both acute hospital practice and community-based care allows her to navigate cases where responsibility may cross organisational and professional boundaries.

CPR-Compliant Expert Witness Services Since 2018

Since 2018, Wendie has provided expert witness services compliant with Part 35 of the Civil Procedure Rules. She delivers breach of duty reports, screening assessments, and letters of advice for both Claimant and Defendant instructions. Her current case split is approximately 60 percent Claimant and 40 percent Defendant.

In each instruction, Wendie begins by reviewing the clinical records in detail, ensuring that her conclusions are grounded in the evidence. Her opinions are formed independently based on the facts presented and the relevant clinical standards.

Wendie’s reports are recognised for their clarity, logical reasoning, and careful alignment with regulatory standards. Her work with Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) fitness to practise panels further strengthens her understanding of professional accountability within nursing practice.

Matching Clinical Experience to Case Complexity

In a recent CPD session, Wendie discussed the importance of ensuring that the expert instructed has the appropriate clinical experience to match the case in question. Nursing roles often share similar job titles while involving very different scopes of responsibility, depending on the setting.

For example, an Advanced Nurse Practitioner in general practice may work largely autonomously, diagnosing, prescribing, and managing long-term conditions. In contrast, an ANP working in a hospital or urgent care centre may be operating under a different set of protocols, with varying levels of decision-making responsibility. Without the correct alignment of expertise, expert evidence may be vulnerable to challenge.

Wendie’s broad clinical portfolio enables her to comment authoritatively on a wide range of cases, including:

• Tissue viability and wound care management.

• District and community nursing standards.

• Care home nursing and multi-disciplinary care planning.

• Diabetes management and chronic disease care.

• Urgent care and NHS 111 telephone triage.

• Non-medical prescribing decisions.

• Advanced Nursing Practice

Documentation and Clinical Reasoning

Accurate documentation lies at the heart of nursing care and is a key component of Wendie’s assessments. She reviews care plans, risk assessments, body maps, turning charts, medication records, and escalation protocols. When records are incomplete or missing, she applies her clinical judgment to evaluate whether omissions represent substandard care and whether they contribute to causation.

In tissue viability cases, for instance, she examines whether risk assessments such as Waterlow scores were completed appropriately and whether preventative interventions were documented and consistently delivered. In care home or community settings, she assesses whether nursing staff implemented appropriate monitoring, nutritional assessments, and timely escalation when patient needs changed.

Wendie’s detailed record review ensures her opinions are rooted in both what is present and what is absent from the documentation, always considering the clinical implications of missing information.

Maintaining Independence and Objectivity

Expert independence is central to the integrity of medico-legal reporting. While the instructing party may provide their view on alleged negligence, Wendie’s process is always anchored in an independent clinical review of the evidence.

Her role is not to advocate for one party but to provide the court with clear, balanced, and clinically reasoned opinions based on the evidence. If documentation supports multiple potential interpretations, Wendie sets out these possibilities transparently, explaining how different scenarios might impact breach of duty or causation.

Presenting Complex Clinical Issues Clearly

Wendie is highly skilled in explaining complex clinical material in ways that are accessible to non-clinicians. Her reports are carefully structured to ensure that legal teams, judges, and courts can easily follow her reasoning.

By clearly setting out her thought process and referencing relevant guidelines or standards, Wendie ensures her reports withstand scrutiny at every stage, from initial review through to joint expert discussions and potential cross-examination.

A Trusted Resource for Solicitors in Nursing-Related Claims

Solicitors working with Wendie benefit from her in-depth clinical knowledge, balanced reporting style, and strong understanding of both clinical practice and medico-legal requirements. Her expertise is particularly valuable in cases involving tissue viability failures, delays in escalation of care, prescribing errors, care home standards, and complex multi-agency nursing care.

Wendie’s experience, combined with her clear and professional communication, makes her a trusted choice for solicitors navigating challenging nursing care claims.

Instructing Wendie Smith

Solicitors managing claims involving nursing care can rely on Wendie Smith’s extensive expertise to provide robust, court-ready expert opinion. Her work supports legal teams with clear, independent analysis grounded in clinical experience and regulatory knowledge.

To request Wendie’s CV, check availability, or discuss instructions, contact Apex Experts at info@apexexperts.co.uk, give us a call on 0203 633 2213 or visit our contact us page.