John Thornton, instructed by Ryan Booth of GT Stewart Solicitors, acted for the intervener in the recently reported case of Medway Council v MA & Ors [2026] EWFC 293.

Judgment was handed down on 9 October, identifying a severe internal communication breakdown within the Local Authority as the reason crucial medical records were not disclosed for around 20 months, ultimately forcing the adjournment of a 10-day Fact-Finding Hearing. The Local Authority had failed to inform the parties of potentially significant medical investigations regarding the child, which were only discovered on the eve of the hearing when foster carer logs were finally disclosed.

The judgment highlights the critical need for Local Authorities to maintain workable internal systems ensuring that:

• Legal services actively and regularly review case records.
• Multi-agency information sharing remains reliable.
• Case records are served on all parties in a timely manner.

All health information and details arising from medical appointments are shared promptly with anyone holding parental responsibility.