The Faculty of Forensic & Legal Medicine

📢 Register now for our free upcoming webinar: Examination in Pregnancy!

Dr Amy Hamm will provide an overview of our newly published Recommendations for Intimate Sampling in Pregnancy.

Register here: https://tinyurl.com/4cddfvnw

Read the full recommendations here: https://tinyurl.com/ydhn88hk

We’re excited for our upcoming Virtual Child Safeguarding Day and we’d love for you to join us! This year’s programme will cover key topics such as:

▪️FGM
▪️Navigating the ‘Manosphere’ and Its Impact
▪️Understanding DASH and MARAC Assessments

📅 Book your place today: https://tinyurl.com/5b3sddt2

Exams - FFLM The FFLM currently offers four exams - the Diploma of Legal Medicine, Membership of the Faculty of Forensic & Legal Medicine, Licentiateship of the Faculty of Forensic & Legal Medicine in Sexual Offence Medicine and Licentiateship of the Faculty of Forensic & Legal Medicine in General Forensic Medicine. More information is available here.

⏰ Just a reminder that applications for the Part 2 Licentiate and Membership Examinations taking place in April 2026 are now open!

🗓️ Deadline: 17:00 (GMT), Friday 28 November 2025

Be sure to apply before the deadline—late submissions won’t be accepted.

🔗 Apply now: https://fflm.ac.uk/exams

As #FHPWeek2025 comes to an end, we recognise the vital role of FHPs—from survivor care to forensic expertise

FHPs are the backbone of sexual assault services, custodial healthcare, and the wider criminal justice system

As highlighted during #FHPWeek, forensic and legal medicine remains unrecognised as a medical specialty — a gap that affects professional recognition and the quality of patient care.

The FFLM is committed to achieving specialty status and securing the recognition it deserves

FHPs are familiar with the challenges of an ever-evolving drug landscape. Emerging substances demand up-to-date clinical knowledge to ensure safe, effective care.

Up-to-date specific drug information on new substances can be found at http://www.toxbase.org #FHPWeek

Detainees with substance use disorders in police custody: Guidelines for clinical management (5th edition) - FFLM A working group report by: The Royal College of Psychiatrists and The Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine, March 2020, also known as ‘The Blue Guidelines’.Those with substance use disorders who are in police custody are entitled to the same high quality and effective treatment, delivered by healthcare professionals with the appropriate competencies, as the rest of the population. Accurate assessment of associated morbidities, including the degree and severity of dependence, and of the need for medical intervention, is essential, because both intoxication and withdrawal can put detainees at risk of medical, psychiatric and even legal complications.

Guidance on the required competencies for clinicians working with detainees affected by substance use — along with best practices for clinical management — can be found in the Blue Guidelines here:

In police custody, the assessment & treatment of people with substance use disorders demands specific clinical skills & experience to safeguard their wellbeing. FHPs are uniquely positioned to deliver this care, drawing on specialist competencies & an understanding of the custodial environment

As part of #FHPWeek, it’s important to highlight the role FHPs play in ensuring effective and safe care for individuals with alcohol and other substance use disorders — regardless of their circumstances.

FHPs may be interested to know that we host an annual Virtual Adult Safeguarding Day, and it’s free to attend!

Next year's programme will cover topics such as:

▪️Safeguarding in Secure & Detained Settings
▪️Domestic Abuse in Pregnancy
▪️Restraint

Register here: https://tinyurl.com/5n7bs5be #FHPWeek

FHPs play a vital role in supporting vulnerable individuals — especially those with mental health conditions and learning disabilities — in custody settings.

Guidance on assessing individuals with learning difficulties and disabilities can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/9wv9b74w #FHPWeek

FHPs may also find our twice-yearly FSSC newsletter a valuable resource. It addresses queries submitted by FFLM members and other stakeholders on forensic sampling and forensic science.

Available here: https://fflm.ac.uk/resources/fflm-forensic-science-subcommittee-newsletter #FHPWeek

Next week, our FSSC will meet to review the Recommendations for the Collection of Forensic Specimens from Complainants and Suspects. These guidelines are reviewed twice a year to ensure they remain aligned with current best practice.

Access the latest version here: tinyurl.com/485betcj

As highlighted already this #FHPWeek, the role of an FHP is diverse and encompasses a wide range of responsibilities.

One key part of the FHP's role is collecting forensic evidence — a vital process that helps establish facts, supports the criminal justice system, and ensures justice for victims.

🎉As part of #FHPWeek, we’re excited to announce that our next webinar, Examination in Pregnancy, is free to attend! This webinar will cover insights from our guidance on intimate sampling in pregnancy

Register here: https://tinyurl.com/4cddfvnw

Read the guidance here: https://tinyurl.com/ydhn88hk

A huge thank you to Stacey Day and everyone who joined today’s webinar! It was fantastic to see such a strong turnout as we explored how the FHP role has evolved over the past five years.

Missed it? Don’t worry — the webinar will be available on catch up soon! #FHPWeek

FFLM Quality Standards - FFLM

We’ve developed Quality Standards for FHPs working in sexual assault services and custodial settings. These standards support high-quality forensic care through clear guidance on training, supervision, and professional development

Available here: https://tinyurl.com/4my837ra #FHPWeek

People attending sexual assault services and custodial settings often have complex medical needs and multiple vulnerabilities. A ‘one size fits all’ approach does not work — care must be tailored and delivered by skilled multidisciplinary FHP teams #FHPWeek

It’s not just #FHPweek — it’s also #TrusteesWeek 🎉

We’d like to take this opportunity to celebrate and thank our incredible Trustees (old and new!) for the time, dedication, and expertise they bring to the FFLM.

We’re truly grateful for everything they do — thank you to our wonderful Trustees!

The FFLM is actively working and advocating to change this. Achieving formal specialty status would ensure consistent, high-quality care and strengthen the profession’s vital role in both healthcare and the justice system #FHPWeek

At the crossroads of healthcare and justice, forensic and legal medicine remains unrecognised as a medical specialty in the UK

This lack of recognition limits training, career progression, and the delivery of consistent, high-quality care for FHPs and their patients

A Day In The Life Of - FFLM Our members hold a variety of roles across the field of forensic and legal medicine. We've collated a series of accounts from our members to give a flavour of what it’s like to work in this field.

Want to know what a typical day looks like for a FHP?

Explore our Day in the Life series here: fflm.ac.uk/resources/a-...

Ever wondered what an FHP actually does?

The answer: far more than you might think. Here are just a few of their responsibilities:

▪️Assessing individuals in police custody
▪️Examining victims of sexual assault
▪️Documenting injuries
▪️Writing statements for court
▪️Providing expert medical evidence

Safe, high-quality care in police custody and sexual assault services relies on skilled, multidisciplinary teams working together.

Healthcare in these environments should be of an equivalent standard to that provided in the wider community #FHPweek

🎉 As part of our #FHPWeek celebrations, we’re delighted to host The Role of the Forensic HCP in Custody – a webinar led by Stacey Day, our Vice-President for Allied Healthcare Professionals

📅 Register here: https://tinyurl.com/494f5wej

Working independently of the police, FHPs provide medical care and conduct forensic assessments for individuals in police custody and at Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs)

Explore The Role of the HCP, a guide outlining the key responsibilities of FHPs: https://tinyurl.com/3ucu28fc

#FHPWeek

Who are Forensic Healthcare Practitioners (FHPs)?

FHPs are doctors, nurses, midwives, and paramedics who form highly skilled multidisciplinary teams delivering forensic healthcare across the UK

Happy #FHPWeek!

This week, we’re shining a spotlight on the dedication and expertise of Forensic Healthcare Practitioners, and the vital role they play in supporting sexual assault services and custodial healthcare settings and the criminal justice system

Why not join us for our upcoming Virtual Child Safeguarding Day?

This year’s programme will cover key topics such as:

▪️Female Genital Mutilation
▪️Neurodiversity and Abuse
▪️Navigating the 'Manosphere' and its Impact

📅 Reserve your place today: fflm.ac.uk/event/fflm-virtual-child-safeguarding-2025

We're pleased to announce that applications for the Part 2 Licentiate and Membership Examinations in April 2026 are now open!

🗓️ Deadline: 17:00 (GMT) on Fri 28 Nov

Please submit your application before the deadline, as late applications cannot be accepted

🔗 Apply now: https://fflm.ac.uk/exams