ABSTRACT

Medico-legal work can be one of the most lucrative areas of fee-paid work, but it is also one of the most complex and demanding. It would be pointless to try and describe the extraordinary complexities of the legal system in the UK, but fortunately there is a plethora of books available on the subject. Unfortunately the amounts doctors are able to earn from such work, be they experts or acting in a professional capacity, are severely circumscribed whenever the cost of proceedings are funded by the public purse. The recognition of forensic medicine as a fully fledged specialty is long overdue in this country, and it will not be long before it is officially recognized throughout the European Community. Opportunities to enter this field unfortunately are limited. Occupational health is of course a recognized specialty and a great many of its practitioners will be full-time salaried employees of large companies or institutions.