Job Title: Junior Solicitor (Complaints, Refunds & Healthcare Disputes)
Location: [Clinic Location]
Salary: £28,000 – £35,000 per year (depending on experience)
Job Type: Full-time
Role Overview
We are seeking a motivated and commercially minded Junior Solicitor (NQ – 2 Years’ PQE) to join our growing legal and governance team within a leading cosmetic and aesthetic clinic.
This role is ideal for a newly qualified solicitor or a solicitor with up to two years’ post-qualification experience who is looking to develop expertise in healthcare law, complaints management, consumer disputes, and regulatory compliance.
The successful candidate will lead the legal management of patient complaints, refund requests, service disputes, and potential medico-legal matters while ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, consumer protection legislation, and healthcare best practice. The role is integral to protecting the clinic’s reputation, reducing legal risk, improving patient experience, and ensuring fair, transparent, and legally compliant outcomes.
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Core Responsibilities
1. Complaints Management & Resolution
* Manage the end-to-end legal handling of patient complaints, including:
* Clinical complaints
* Service complaints
* Outcome dissatisfaction
* Financial and billing disputes
* Ensure complaints are managed in accordance with:
* CQC Regulations
* Duty of Candour requirements
* Internal complaints policies
* Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service (ISCAS) standards (where applicable)
* Conduct legal reviews of complaints and advise on risk.
* Draft professional acknowledgement letters, investigation responses, and final outcome letters.
* Coordinate investigations with clinicians, managers, and external advisers.
* Ensure complaints are resolved within required timescales.
* Conduct Root Cause Analysis and recommend improvements to reduce future complaints.
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2. Refunds & Consumer Dispute Management
* Assess and advise on refund requests, compensation claims, and goodwill payments.
* Ensure decisions comply with:
* Consumer Rights Act 2015
* Private healthcare contracts
* Clinic Terms & Conditions
* Internal refund policies
* Work closely with Finance and Operations to facilitate:
* Refund approvals
* Settlement agreements
* Payment processing
* Manage complex and high-value consumer disputes.
* Negotiate appropriate commercial settlements where necessary.
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3. Medico-Legal Risk Management
* Identify complaints involving potential clinical negligence or legal exposure.
* Escalate matters to:
* Medical Defence Organisations
* Professional Indemnity Insurers
* External Legal Counsel
* Assist with internal investigations and Root Cause Analysis.
* Support compliance with Duty of Candour obligations.
* Prepare documentation for potential litigation and regulatory investigations.
* Maintain legally privileged records where appropriate.
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4. Regulatory & Legal Compliance
* Ensure compliance with:
* CQC Regulations
* Consumer Rights Act 2015
* Data Protection legislation (UK GDPR)
* GMC, NMC and HCPC professional standards
* Cosmetic sector guidance
* Maintain complaints registers and governance records.
* Prepare evidence for CQC inspections.
* Assist with responses to regulators and external adjudication bodies, including ISCAS.
* Review and update legal policies and procedures.
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5. Patient Experience & Governance
* Analyse complaint trends and identify recurring legal or operational risks.
* Produce monthly and quarterly governance reports.
* Recommend improvements to patient pathways and complaint prevention.
* Work collaboratively with clinical, operational, and senior management teams to improve patient experience.
* Support continuous service improvement initiatives.
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6. Legal Advice, Training & Staff Support
* Provide legal guidance to clinicians and managers on complaints and dispute resolution.
* Deliver training on:
* Complaints handling
* Consumer law
* Duty of Candour
* Professional communication
* Conflict resolution
* Support staff involved in complex complaints or investigations.
* Promote a culture of openness, learning, and legal compliance.
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7. Documentation & Governance
* Draft, review, and maintain:
* Complaints policies
* Refund and compensation policies
* Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
* Legal templates and correspondence
* Ensure documentation meets regulatory and legal standards.
* Maintain accurate, confidential, and secure legal records.
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Person Specification
Essential
* Qualified Solicitor in England & Wales.
* Newly Qualified (NQ) Solicitor or up to 2 years’ Post Qualification Experience (PQE).
* Excellent drafting, negotiation, and communication skills.
* Strong understanding of consumer protection law.
* Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
* Ability to manage sensitive matters with professionalism, empathy, and discretion.
* Strong organisational and case management skills.
* Commercial awareness and sound legal judgement.
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Desirable
* Experience in healthcare law, regulatory law, clinical negligence, consumer disputes, or litigation.
* Knowledge of:
* CQC Regulations
* Consumer Rights Act 2015
* Healthcare complaints procedures
* Cosmetic or private healthcare sector
* Experience liaising with insurers, regulators, or external counsel.
* Previous experience within private healthcare or regulated environments.
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Key Competencies
* Excellent legal drafting skills
* Sound commercial judgement
* Strong negotiation and dispute resolution abilities
* Calm under pressure
* High ethical standards
* Emotional intelligence and professionalism
* Attention to detail
* Excellent stakeholder management
* Ability to manage confidential information
* Commitment to continuous improvement
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Benefits
* Competitive salary
* Performance-related bonus
* Private cosmetic treatment allowance
* Professional development and CPD support
* Mentoring and career progression opportunities
* Flexible working arrangements
* Pension scheme
* Annual leave entitlement
* Supportive and collaborative working environment
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Why Join Us?
This is an excellent opportunity for a newly qualified or junior solicitor to develop specialist expertise in healthcare regulation, consumer law, complaints management, and medico-legal risk within a dynamic and expanding cosmetic healthcare business. You will work closely with senior management, clinicians, and external legal professionals while playing a key role in protecting patients, supporting clinical teams, and ensuring the highest standards of legal and regulatory compliance.
Pay: £27,896.55-£35,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
