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An independent clinical advisory practice for secure and high-risk healthcare
After years working across frontline general practice, secure healthcare and medical leadership, I repeatedly saw organisations facing increasingly complex clinical governance challenges with limited access to experienced independent advice or focused training.
Dr Matthew Tranter
Dr Matthew Tranter is a General Practitioner working across multiple sites in the prison and immigration removal estates, and a former Forensic Medical Examiner. He brings extensive experience across secure healthcare, clinical governance, medicolegal practice, and medical education. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Pharmacology, a Diploma in Occupational Medicine, and a Diploma in Legal Medicine from the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine, and has undertaken specialist expert witness training with Bond Solon.
Dr Tranter is a former Medical Director and co-founder of a CQC-regulated independent healthcare provider, and has over 15 years’ experience teaching Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Oxford and Imperial College London. He has been trained by Bond Solon in expert witness practice and has experience preparing independent medicolegal reports for both civil and criminal proceedings.
Athena Clinical Advisory was founded to provide organisations delivering complex healthcare with access to experienced, independent clinical leadership, governance expertise and practical advice to improve quality, manage risk and support safe patient care.
Contact: matthew@athenaclinical.co.uk
Independent
Evidence-based
Discreet
Experienced
Independent, rigorous, and handled with discretion
Confidential conversation and initial assessment
Agree the right approach
Independent clinical and governance expertise
Support improvement and next steps
A network of specialist expertise
CQC Registered Managers, Heads of Healthcare, Clinical Directors, Medical Directors, senior nurses, and other experienced healthcare leaders, ensuring every engagement is supported by professionals with relevant operational and clinical expertise.
Frequently
Asked Questions
What does Athena Clinical Advisory do?
Athena provides independent clinical advisory, governance, investigation and education services to organisations delivering regulated healthcare. We provide experienced clinical expertise to help organisations strengthen governance, manage risk, improve quality and respond effectively when things go wrong.
Who does Athena work with?
We work with organisations delivering healthcare in complex, regulated and challenging environments. This includes secure healthcare providers, prisons and IRCs, care providers, independent healthcare services, specialist clinical organisations and legal teams.
What is an ongoing Clinical Advisory partnership?
Our Clinical Advisory service gives organisations ongoing access to experienced, independent clinical expertise without necessarily employing additional senior clinical leadership in house. Support can include clinical governance, quality and safety, incident review, policy development, regulatory preparation and advice to senior leaders.
Do you only work in secure healthcare?
No. Secure healthcare is a particular area of expertise for Athena, but we work more broadly with regulated health and care organisations where independent clinical leadership, governance or specialist advice can add value.
Can Athena support us with CQC preparation?
Yes. Athena can independently review clinical governance arrangements, policies, evidence and areas of clinical risk, helping organisations identify weaknesses and prepare for regulatory scrutiny. We do not guarantee inspection outcomes and responsibility for regulatory compliance remains with the provider.
Can you investigate serious incidents?
Yes. Athena provides independent clinical review and investigation following serious incidents, complaints and other significant events. The scope can range from focused clinical case review to wider examination of governance, systems and organisational learning.
Do you provide training?
Yes. Athena develops bespoke clinical education for the environments in which staff actually work. Rather than simply adapting generic material, our programmes can be designed around the particular clinical, operational and governance challenges faced by an organisation.
Can you develop a bespoke training programme for our organisation?
Yes. We can review your existing provision, identify priorities and develop individual sessions or broader programmes. Training can include areas such as reception healthcare, safeguarding, acute and emergency care, medicines, long term conditions, clinical risk and patient safety.
Who delivers Athena’s work?
Athena is clinically led and draws on a network of experienced healthcare professionals and governance specialists according to the needs of each engagement. This includes expertise from senior doctors, CQC Registered Managers, Heads of Healthcare, clinical leaders, pharmacists and senior nursing professionals.
Can you work alongside our existing clinical and governance teams?
Yes. Athena is intended to complement existing leadership rather than replace it. We can provide an independent perspective, additional specialist expertise or additional capacity while working collaboratively with your existing teams.
Does Athena provide legal advice?
No. Athena provides independent clinical and medicolegal expertise, but does not provide legal advice. Where an issue requires legal interpretation or representation, we recommend that clients obtain advice from an appropriately qualified legal professional.
Can Athena work with solicitors and legal teams?
Yes. Athena can provide independent clinical expertise in relation to medicolegal matters, case review and expert opinion. The precise scope of any instruction is agreed at the outset.
Do you offer one off projects as well as ongoing support?
Yes. Organisations can engage Athena for a defined project, such as a governance review, investigation, training programme or regulatory preparation, or through an ongoing Clinical Advisory arrangement.
How much does Athena cost?
Every engagement is scoped according to the organisation’s requirements.
Following an initial discussion, we provide a clear proposal setting out the scope, deliverables and fees before any work begins.
Do you work across the UK?
Yes. Athena can support organisations across the UK, with many advisory and governance services available remotely alongside on site work where required.
How do we get started?
The first step is a confidential, no obligation conversation about your organisation, the challenges you are facing and the support you may need. We can then recommend an appropriate approach and, where helpful, provide a written proposal.
Let’s discuss your organisation
