Medical Mediation
Disagreements about health and social care are complex and can damage relationships between families, patients and professionals. At MMF, our expert team of mediators helps you rebuild relationships and restore trust. Mediation is voluntary and confidential and can be requested by anyone involved in a conflict. We work with you to find a way forward.
For parents
For adult patients
For healthcare professionals
For children and young adults
For teams in difficulty
"Bringing in an external team allowed us to build a better position of trust and provided a clear moment in time to refresh the relationship between medical team and family…..There was something unique and important for the parents about having (mediators) as part of the conversations."
– Consultant paediatric intensivist
Why choose medical mediation?
Medical mediation offers an alternative to going to court. It provides an opportunity for families and professionals to discuss and resolve disagreements about treatment and care in a calm, confidential and supported space. Crucially, it also provides an opportunity to resolve issues which would fall outside the court’s remit; for example, the impact of disagreement on families and professionals alike and how this may have led to communication breakdown. Apologies can be made where appropriate and relationships between families and professionals restored. A courtroom does not provide opportunities for these important conversations, however compassionate a judge may be.
Compared with court proceedings, mediation is:
- Faster
- Cheaper
- Non-adversarial
- More likely to result in understanding and improved communication between the parties
What does mediation cost?
Every mediation is different. Some cases may need only one meeting, others need more. Once we know what's needed we will provide you with a detailed cost estimate.
…it is my clear view that mediation should be attempted in all cases such as this one even if all that it does is achieve a greater understanding by the parties of each other’s positions.
– Mr Justice Francis, in his judgment in the Charlie Gard case