On Thursday 18 September 2025, Nine Chambers hosted an in-depth Q&A seminar at Chambers, bringing together leading experts to share their experiences and perspectives on amputation and its wider implications.
The event was hosted by Matthew Snarr, a leading personal injury barrister specialising in complex amputation claims, who guided the discussion and put key questions to the expert panel. The panel — Dr Bhaskar Basu, Alan McDougall, Asad Khan and Holly King — explored a wide range of interconnected topics including pain types and their implications for amputation, patient selection and clinical assessment, the role of the multidisciplinary team, and the balance between functional and pain-driven outcomes.
Further discussion examined the management of chronic post-amputation pain, advances in prosthetics and technology, the contrasts between private and NHS treatment, as well as the psychological, social, and ethical considerations involved. The seminar also covered litigation issues, the potential of osseointegration, and future trends shaping treatment and rehabilitation.
Reflecting on the seminar, host Matthew Snarr commented:
“This was an engaging Q&A style event with high quality speakers on the difficult topic of pain induced elective amputations. My key takeaways from the expert discussions are the following: (1) the injured party needs to clearly understand the purpose behind their amputation, this is key to realistic goal setting and is not always obvious in the context of chronic pain (2) there is work (pre-habilitation) that needs to be done before any amputation to prepare the limb for possible prosthetic use, this will hopefully optimise the outcome (3) there should be input from the full MDT team to advise the injured party on their options both with and without an amputation (4) MDT teams should be wary of the cases where there is a co-morbid psychiatric condition or a psychological response to the limb which might be driving the desire for an amputation.”
The event concluded with networking drinks, offering attendees the opportunity to continue discussions and connect with panelists and colleagues.
Speakers at the event:
Matthew Snarr
Matthew Snarr specialises in complex amputation claims and is ranked as a 1st tier personal injury barrister in Chambers and Partners and Legal 500. He has a national practice acting for both Claimants and Defendants in catastrophic injury claims, with a caseload comprising mainly of multi-million pound claims arising from spinal cord injuries and severe brain injuries. To learn more about his practice, please click here.
Dr Basu
Dr Basu is a Consultant in Physical & Rehabilitation Medicine and Clinical Lead for Amputee and Prosthetic Rehabilitation in Manchester. He is the National Chair – SIG for Amputee Medicine BSPRM UK. He is the convenor and faculty in BSPRM SIGAM Advanced Prosthetic and Amputee Rehabilitation Course at Stanmore and Manchester since 2024.
Alan McDougall
Clinical Director/Clinical Specialist Prosthetist
Alan joined Proactive in 2018 having previously worked as an academy clinician as an Academy Clinician, his role included training qualified prosthetists in the use of the latest state of the art prosthetic components, including the Genium and X3 knees, the Empower foot, and the Michelangelo bionic arm. Alan has been involved in many innovative projects, including new designs for trans-femoral sockets and the development of microprocessor-controlled prosthetic components prevalent in the marketplace today. These include the Elan foot and the Linx limb system.
Asad Khan
Clinic Manager/ Clinical Specialist Prosthetist
Asad has a Master’s degree in Prosthetics and Orthotics Sciences. Having now worked for many years within the UK private sector, he is familiar with cutting-edge technologies and has collaborated with experts in the field across the country and overseas. Asad maintains a keen interest in exploring the potential of microprocessor knees, microprocessor feet, and sporting devices.
Holly King
Holly King is a Chartered Physiotherapist with over 20 years of experience, specialising in complex trauma and amputee rehabilitation. Her clinical background includes service in the military, with roles at Headley Court and the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines. Holly has a strong academic interest in pain management—particularly phantom limb pain—and has published research on electroacupuncture. In 2025, she co-authored landmark research on the psychological harm caused by repeated litigation testimony in catastrophic injury cases. She is also the founder of Stride Forward, a charity supporting individuals with life-changing physical injuries through mentorship and purposeful activity.
Seminar resources:
