Natasha is a Senior Associate in the Healthcare Litigation team, specialising in professional discipline and regulatory law with over a decade of experience gained in private practice and in-house at the General Medical Council (GMC).
She has represented clients such as medical defence organisations, doctors, nurses, and teachers in disciplinary proceedings and inquests, and acted for professional regulatory bodies in the healthcare and education sectors (including as part of a secondment).
Natasha has assisted corporate investment clients and start-up or expanding businesses with regulatory compliance and due diligence when expanding operations, refinancing or acquiring organisations in the education, health, and social care sectors (e.g. care homes, children’s care services, private clinics and hospitals, and independent nurseries, schools and colleges) to ensure regulatory standards are met (including in respect of Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission and their respective UK counterparts).
Senior associate Natasha Ricioppo is ‘an excellent solicitor who is always on top of her cases
The Legal 500, 2023
I do not think that I could have navigated the process without Natasha's expertise and support. I cannot imagine a more supportive or professional legal representative whose calmness and evident expertise mattered more than anything in helping through 5 years of absolute hell.
Consultant Cardiologist and former Medical Director and Responsible Officer
Both pre-hearing and during the hearing her help, support and knowledge of the documents has been phenomenal. Her handling of a very difficult client and the very careful seeking of instructions has been impeccable. She is a pleasure to work with and a real asset to your firm. She is one of the best I have worked with in 37 years at the Bar.
King’s Counsel
I am very grateful for your thorough and empathetic approach which helped me to recall and process the events in a fair and accurate manner and ensured I was best prepared for the interview and statement writing.
Paediatric Registrar
I am very grateful for the hard work and kindness you have offered during what has been a very trying time.
Consultant Anaesthetist
I wanted to express my sincere gratitude & appreciation for all your support. I wouldn’t have done it without your support, help & guidance. I am still in a state of disbelief that this nightmare is over.
Consultant Psychiatrist
Expertise
- Healthcare, social care and education regulatory law and advisory work
- Professional discipline
- Due diligence to support investments
- Prosecution and defence of regulatory cases
- Inquests
- Fitness to practise, litigation and restoration cases
- Handling of allegations, including clinical and non-clinical misconduct, sexual misconduct, deficient professional performance, and dishonesty
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- General Medical Council (GMC)
- Regulatory considerations involved in the development and launch of new apps and/or digital platforms to collate live personal data and provide healthcare to patients
- Safeguarding regulation
Experience
Professional Discipline & healthcare
- Assisted on The Hooper Review, which examined the GMC’s processes for handling whistleblower cases and contributed to streamlining internal practices and drafting regulatory guidance on behalf of regulatory bodies.
- Represented a GMC registered doctor and successfully overturned an erasure from the Medical Register, involving proven allegations of dishonesty, in an appeal to the High Court.
- Acted for a GMC-registered doctor and successfully appealed the imposition of an interim order of conditions by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal in the High Court.
- Represented a healthcare regulatory body in a technically complex case which considered the fitness of a student registrant to undertake training.
- Assisted a GMC-registered doctor in respect of their involvement in a high-profile case which led to an inquest, a change in NHS protocol and a CQC criminal investigation.
- Conducted an investigation on behalf of a regulatory body into historic allegations of fraud and corruption which involved gathering evidence and cross-continent working with Australia and Singapore-based parties.
Regulatory compliance
- Advised investor clients in relation to the acquisition of schools, nurseries, colleges, summer schools and language schools for overseas students. In addition to undertaking the underlying due diligence, advice provided to clients included the required notifications to Estyn, Ofsted, the Independent Schools Inspectorate and the Department for Education.
- Advised investor clients in relation to the acquisition and refinancing of organisations operating in the healthcare and social care sectors. In addition to undertaking the underlying due diligence, advice provided to clients included the regulatory requirements of the Care Quality Commission, Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Healthcare Inspectorate Wales and the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority.
- Advised technology and technology provider companies in relation to the requirements of various healthcare organisations and regulatory bodies.
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Recognition
The Legal 500 Rising Star 2023
Member of the Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers (ARDL)
Prize winner in ARDL’s Marion Simmons QC essay competition 2018
Career
Natasha qualified as a solicitor in 2015. Prior to joining Keystone Law, she worked at the following organisations:
- CMS
- General Medical Council