Dr Michael Yoong

Dr Michael Yoong is a Consultant Paediatric Neurologist, Clinical Lead for Paediatric Neurology and expert witness at the Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, where he has been in post since March 2019. His principal areas of clinical expertise include paediatric epilepsy, childhood convulsive status epilepticus, traumatic and acquired brain injury, neurorehabilitation, developmental neurological disorders and complex neurological conditions affecting children and young people.

Dr Yoong's clinical practice is centred on the diagnosis, investigation and long-term management of children with complex neurological disorders. He has primary responsibility for a large tertiary paediatric epilepsy service, overseeing the care of children with epilepsy and providing specialist advice and supervision to paediatricians across North East London and Essex. He also leads the neurorehabilitation service for the Major Trauma Service at the Royal London Hospital, where he manages children recovering from traumatic and other acquired brain injuries through dedicated follow-up clinics.

Alongside his clinical responsibilities, Dr Yoong is an Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at Queen Mary University of London and has established a strong academic reputation through research into childhood epilepsy, neurodevelopmental disorders and neurological manifestations of COVID-19. He has contributed to national expert groups developing guidance on the management of childhood status epilepticus and epilepsy-related mortality, reinforcing his authority within paediatric neurology. His combination of specialist clinical leadership, tertiary referral practice and academic expertise enables him to deliver highly specialised care for children with complex neurological conditions.

Dr Michael Yoong has undertaken medico-legal work since 2020, providing expert opinion in clinical negligence, criminal and professional regulatory/fitness to practise matters involving children and young people up to the age of 18. His practice is focused on complex paediatric neurological cases, particularly those involving epilepsy, childhood convulsive status epilepticus, traumatic and acquired brain injury, neurorehabilitation and other neurological disorders affecting children. He has completed formal expert witness report writing training and has experience attending court, further supporting his medico-legal practice.

Dr Yoong prepares screening, breach of duty and causation reports, delivering clear, evidence-based opinions on standards of care and the neurological consequences of injury or disease. His extensive tertiary clinical practice enables him to assist solicitors with complex questions relating to diagnosis, clinical management, causation and neurological outcomes in paediatric patients, providing authoritative opinions grounded in current specialist practice.

Dr Yoong’s clinical practice focuses on the assessment and management of children and young people with complex neurological disorders, with particular expertise in epilepsy and childhood convulsive status epilepticus. He spends much of his clinical time investigating children presenting with seizures, transient neurological events and developmental neurological disorders, using detailed clinical assessment to establish diagnosis, guide treatment and optimise long-term neurological outcomes.

A significant aspect of his practice involves the care of children with traumatic and acquired brain injury through specialist neurorehabilitation services. He provides ongoing assessment of neurological recovery, monitors cognitive and functional outcomes, and coordinates long-term management for children with complex rehabilitation needs following serious neurological injury. His expertise also extends to conditions including cerebral palsy, neuroinflammatory disorders, meningitis, encephalitis, hypoxic ischaemic brain injury, paediatric stroke and rare neurological conditions such as Dravet syndrome and SCN1A-related disorders. Through his tertiary referral practice, he manages both acute neurological presentations and chronic neurological disease, delivering comprehensive, evidence-based care for children with complex neurological needs while supporting multidisciplinary management across regional paediatric networks.

Dr Yoong combines clinical leadership with a strong academic profile as an Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at Queen Mary University of London. He has published extensively in paediatric neurology, particularly in childhood epilepsy, convulsive status epilepticus, neurodevelopmental outcomes and the neurological effects of COVID-19 in children. He has also contributed to national expert groups developing guidance on childhood status epilepticus and epilepsy-related mortality, reinforcing his standing within the specialty.