Professional information

UK Register of Expert WitnessesIan Blenkharn has published extensively and lectured widely, both at home and abroad, on aspects of hospital hygiene, the prevention and control of infection in hospitals, and healthcare waste management. Ian maintains an extensive private practice focusing on aspects of general, occupational and environmental microbiology, together with pharmaceutical microbiology, infection control, product design, development and evaluation, audit, and training in the healthcare waste, and environment sectors. He has acted for several key public- and commercial-sector clients in the UK and elsewhere, as an advisor on aspects of healthcare waste management and waste disposal. Local, regional and central government agencies together with educational, charitable and aid agencies feature among an international client base.

 

Scientific publication

Ian was the Founding Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Hospital Environment & Hygiene Management. Currently, he sits as a member of the Editorial Boards of The Journal of Hospital Infection, The Open Waste Management Journal, and of The Biologist. Ian has also served as a member of the Editorial Board of The Journal of Infection Prevention, The Journal of Electronic Health, and The International Journal of Engineering, Science and Technology.

He is a regular reviewer for a number of key journals including Waste Management, Waste Management and Research, The Journal of Environmental Management, Public Health, The Journal of Public Health (Oxford)BioMed Central (BMC) Public Health and BMC Research Notes, and many others.

Ian is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology. He is a member of the Healthcare Infection Society (formerly the Hospital Infection Society) and of the Infection Prevention Society, a Fellow of the Institute of Biomedical Science and a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health.

Ian is a Chartered Biologist and a Chartered Scientist, a Member of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management and is a Chartered Waste Manager.  He is Registered with the UK Register of Expert Witnesses, and has several years experience in the preparation of legal reports, briefings and Expert Witness reports, including work in the Crown and High Court, Planning and Public Inquiry. Ian has an extensive teaching commitment and in addition to overseas teaching is a Lecturer at The University of West London, teaching there and elsewhere on a range of specialist subjects including:

  • medical and general microbiology

  • infection and immunity

  • molecular biology; genetics

  • laboratory methods

  • infection prevention and control

  • biosafety and hygiene

 

Ian was an Accreditation Panel member and is a Fellow of The Royal Society for Public Health. In addition, he was an Adviser and Consultant to the Healthcare Commission, UK, until its dissolution on 31 March 2009. He was subsequently appointed as a Special Adviser to the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

 

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Ian has around 30 years experience in the preparation of Expert Witness reports and briefings, including work in the County, Crown and High Court, Coroner’s Courts, in Planning and Licensing applications and appeals, and at Public Inquiry.

Instructions are commensurate with my experience and knowledge and relate to matters of microbiology, in particular:

  • infection prevention and control

  • sepsis, including in particular post-surgical and device-related sepsis

  • laboratory diagnosis and the control of chemotherapy

  • sharps injury

  • clinical and other biohazardous waste management

  • related environmental and occupational microbiology

  • biosafety

He has experience in both medical negligence/malpractice cases and in more complex and extensive commercial (occupational) cases, and in criminal cases.  Additionally, he has experience in Planning and Licensing (Waste Permitting) applications and appeals, and in Public Inquiry.

CUBSWith experience in Meetings of Experts, Ian has received formal training as part of the Imperial College Professional Development Programme, before the Recorder of London, on its Acting as an Expert Witness course.

He holds the Bond Solon certificate having successfully completed the Bond Solon Civil Procedure Rules for Expert Witnesses course. He is also a holder of the Bond Solon/Cardiff University Law School Expert Witness Certificate (civil law).

He is registered with the following Expert Witness and Consultants organisations:

  • UK Register of Expert Witnesses

  • APIL

  • In-Tota

  • Mobile Doctors

  • Gerson Lehrman Group

 


 

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