Medico-Legal Experience

Medical expert witness and Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine, Dr Piera Santullo, has provided independent medico-legal opinion since July 2021. She has prepared approximately 200 substantive and reassessment reports across personal injury and clinical negligence matters, with instructions split at around 60% claimant and 40% defendant, alongside occasional joint instructions.

Her reports include condition and prognosis, rehabilitation needs and life expectancy, with particular expertise in traumatic and acquired brain injury, stroke, spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy and childhood-onset disability, amputation, complex orthopaedic injury, spasticity, pain and fatigue. She assesses functional impact, likely rehabilitation trajectory, therapy, assistive technology, care packages and housing needs, and has given expert evidence under cross-examination on three occasions.

Clinical Experience

Dr Santullo has worked as a Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine since 2016. She is currently Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine, Clinical Lead and Assistant Clinical Director at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton, a role she has held since 2023. Her practice covers neurorehabilitation, spinal cord injury, acquired brain injury, cerebral palsy in adulthood, spasticity and complex disability.

Within the NHS, she leads a 19-bed inpatient rehabilitation service and runs outpatient clinics. Her earlier consultant work included major trauma and neurorehabilitation at Nottingham University Hospitals, giving her experience across acute and longer-term rehabilitation pathways.

Alongside her NHS practice, Dr Santullo works independently in rehabilitation medicine and has held senior clinical roles including Clinical Chair and Rehabilitation Consultant at Circle Rehabilitation in Birmingham and Consultant in Neurorehabilitation Medicine with Active Care Group.

Dr Santullo has a strong interest in education and training. She has worked as an Educational Supervisor and Clinical Supervisor and has contributed to the training of clinicians rotating through neurorehabilitation. Her teaching experience includes medical students at Nottingham University Hospitals, the Interprofessional Stroke Education Programme and pain management education through Pain School International and Pro Academy.

Special Interests

• Brain injuries
• Multiple trauma
• Musculoskeletal injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Progressive neurological conditions
• Chronic pain
• Spasticity
• Neurodisabilities
• Spasticity management
• Prosthetic rehabilitation (lower limb)

Memberships of Professional Bodies

• General Medical Council
• British Society of Rehabilitation Medicine BSRM
  • Neurorehabilitation Special Interest Group 2010-present
  • Long Term Neurological Conditions Rehabilitation, Amputee Medicine, Paediatric Disability and Lifelong Care, Trauma Rehabilitation and Musculoskeletal Medicine.
• British Academy of Childhood Disability
• Italian Medical Register
• Royal College of Physicians
• International Spinal Cord Injury Society
• British Medical Association BMA
• Medical and Dental Defence Union Scotland MDDUS
• SIMFER (Italian Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine)

Further information

Download Dr Santullo’s CV to learn more about her research publications, qualifications and more.