Expert Obstetric Advice for Your Medicolegal Case
Dr. Robert G. Buist BSc MBChB FRANZCOG FRCOG offers expert witness services for obstetric cases with medicolegal experience since 2000 and over 5,000 births personally performed.
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Expert Witness Qualifications
CREDENTIALS THAT MATTER
Dr. Buist's credentials combine extensive obstetric practice with specialised medicolegal training, ensuring opinions that are both clinically sound and legally relevant.
View Full CredentialsProfessional Affiliations
- Fellowship of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG)
- Fellowship of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG)
Clinical Experience
- Continuous clinical practice since 1997
- Provided opinions on more than seventy obstetric cases in Australia since 2000
Specialised Expertise
- Expert Reviewer for the NSW Healthcare Complaints Commission
- Completed Inspire Medilaw Expert Witness Training in Oxford, UK (June 2023)
Active Obstetric Experience
CURRENT CLINICAL PRACTICE
In addition to caring for approximately 180 pregnant women per year since 2005, Dr. Buist provides comprehensive maternity services across all aspects of care.
His practice encompasses outpatient management including the interpretation of laboratory tests and ultrasound studies, inpatient management including services of the Delivery/Birthing Unit and Operating Theatre, team-based high-risk medical obstetric care, and appropriate interdisciplinary collaboration with midwifery colleagues.
Dr. Buist personally performs births at Prince of Wales Private Hospital in Randwick and The Mater Hospital in North Sydney, maintaining office facilities in Bondi Junction, Sydney.
Services Available
COMPREHENSIVE SUPPORT
Preliminary Opinion
Dr. Buist offers a verbal preliminary opinion that involves reading materials provided by the client's solicitors (including letters of instruction, clinical notes, and other reports) and reviewing relevant scientific literature and clinical guidelines. This service is typically completed within two weeks, followed by a telephone, Zoom, or Microsoft Teams session with the legal team, and usually requires five to six hours of Dr. Buist's time.
Formal Medicolegal Reports
Dr. Buist's formal reports comply with the Code of Conduct for Expert Witnesses and RANZCOG Guidelines, containing credentials, instruction summary, detailed clinical history, evidence-based opinions, commentary on other experts' opinions, answers to instructed questions, declarations, references, and curriculum vitae. Typically 20-25 pages with 10-15 references, reports are usually provided within 4-6 weeks and take 30-40 hours to prepare.
Supplementary Reports
From time to time it is necessary to write a supplementary report, which is usually in response to opinions provided by other experts regarding the matter concerned.
Meetings of Experts
Dr. Buist is familiar with the format of meetings of experts and is comfortable attending them via Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
Appearance at Trial
Dr. Buist has appeared in Court as an expert in both New Zealand and Australia, is familiar with Civil Procedure Rules 35, the Practice Direction which goes with it, and the Guidance for Instruction of Experts, and can personally appear in Court in the United Kingdom.
Fair and Thorough Analysis
BALANCED PERSPECTIVE
While requests for opinions by potential plaintiffs dominates Dr. Buist’s medicolegal practice, he also provides opinions to defence teams, indemnity insurers, and the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission.
