Gerard Cronin

MA, BSc, PGC , RN

Nursing Specialisms

Introduction
I qualified as a Registered Nurse in 1993 and have worked in Emergency Departments, both in the UK and The Republic of Ireland, since 1994. I am currently employed as the Revalidation and Clinical Support lead for a large commissioning Primary Care Trust in Essex. Prior to this appointment I was Quality and Patient Safety Lead for the same PCT, and managed Serious Incidents within commissioned services. Other responsibilities included advising on the development of an Urgent Care Centre, leading on the commissioning and quality management of Urgent Care (including Out of Hours commissioning) and managing all matters connected to quality and patient safety within commissioned services within a variety of providers of health care such as Foundation Trusts, Independent Hospitals, General Practitioners and Pharmacists.

The key responsibilities in my current role as Revalidation and Clinical Support lead include:
♦ Identifying and managing the poor performers list
♦ Implementing strategies to manage poor performance
♦ Managing the Revalidation agenda working closely with Regional and National Revalidation leads
♦ Working clinically with poorly performing clinicians

As my work involves clinical support I regularly work directly with poorly performing clinicians. I advise and supervise on appropriate strategies to improve performance, secure patient safety and promote quality.
The vast majority of my career to date has been spent within the Emergency Department of acute hospitals. Prior to joining the PCT, I was employed as an Emergency Care Matron for six years at a large acute Trust in Essex where I held responsibility for the nursing care and management delivered within the Accident and Emergency Unit and the Medical Assessment Unit. I maintain my clinical credibility as an Emergency Nurse. I hold an Honorary Contract as a Registered Nurse with the Emergency Department at an acute NHS Trust in Essex. I held the position as Editorial Advisory Board for the professional journal "Emergency Nurse" between 2006 and 2011. I am the regional link for the Emergency Care Association of the Royal College of Nursing and have worked to bring Emergency Care colleagues throughout Essex together to share learning and to promote Nursing as a specialist area of practise.

I joined Somek and Associates in 2008 as an Emergency Nursing Expert to provide expert opinion on alleged breach of duty in Accident and Emergency and Medical Assessment Units. I have given evidence in the Crown Court as a professional witness of fact, and have prepared papers for nurses to be referred to NMC Board in professional misconduct cases. I accept instructions from both Claimant and Defendant Solicitors. I have undergone training in the medico-legal process and am fully aware of my responsibilities under the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) pertaining to Expert Witnesses. I am due to commence a Masters of Arts course on Ethics and Medical Law course in 2012.

Professional Affiliations
Royal College of Nursing
Founding Fellow of the Faculty of Emergency Nursing of the Royal College of Nursing (2005)
Essex link lead for the Emergency Care Association of the Royal College of Nursing

Professional Education
Registration Number: NMC 90DO364E
2009     Professional Graduate Certificate in Education
2001     MA in Healthcare Management, Institute of Public Administration
1998     Emergency Nurse Practitioner Course, Southend NHS Trust
1996     ENB 199, Emergency Nursing, South Bank University
1994     ENB 998, Teaching and Assessing in Clinical Practice, Brunel University
1994     BSc (Hons) Nursing, Brunel University
1993     Diploma in Nursing & Registered Nurse, University of Essex

I am also due to commence a Master of Arts in Medical Ethics and Law, Keele University in 2012.