Dr Piera Santullo

Dr Piera Santullo is an expert witness and Consultant in Neuro-Rehabilitation Medicine at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton, where she has held a consultant post since 2022, and also serves as Clinical Chair and Rehabilitation Consultant at Circle Rehabilitation Birmingham. She specialises in neurorehabilitation, acquired brain injury, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, prosthetic rehabilitation, trauma rehabilitation, spasticity management, pain medicine and complex physical rehabilitation.

Her clinical practice focuses on the assessment and management of patients with serious neurological, musculoskeletal and traumatic injuries, particularly those requiring long-term rehabilitation planning, functional recovery support and multidisciplinary management. She has particular expertise in brain and spinal cord injury rehabilitation, prosthetic and amputee rehabilitation, post-trauma rehabilitation, capacity and cognitive assessment, pain management and the rehabilitation needs of patients with complex disability.

Dr Santullo also contributes to national rehabilitation medicine through her role as Specialist Advisory Committee Chair for Rehabilitation Medicine at the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board. She is involved in national rehabilitation groups and guideline development, supporting evidence-based standards across neurorehabilitation, trauma rehabilitation, paediatric disability and lifelong care.

Dr Piera Santullo has been undertaking medico legal work since 2020 and accepts instructions in clinical negligence and personal injury matters. She has experience acting for both claimants and defendants, with demonstrated experience providing expert testimony under cross-examination.

Her medico legal practice focuses on complex rehabilitation cases involving major trauma, traumatic brain injury, acquired brain injury, stroke, spinal cord injury, prosthetic rehabilitation, amputee rehabilitation, spasticity, pain management and cognitive or capacity-related issues. She is instructed to provide condition and prognosis reports, particularly where solicitors require expert opinion on life expectancy, quality of life, long-term rehabilitation needs, functional outcome and future care requirements.

Dr Santullo’s expertise is particularly relevant in cases where serious injury or neurological disability has resulted in complex, long-term physical, cognitive or rehabilitation consequences.

Dr Santullo’s clinical interests centre on the rehabilitation of patients with complex neurological, traumatic and musculoskeletal disability, with a strong focus on functional recovery, long-term independence and quality of life. She regularly assesses patients following acquired or traumatic brain injury, stroke and spinal cord injury, considering their physical, cognitive, behavioural and psychosocial rehabilitation needs.

A significant part of her work involves developing rehabilitation plans for patients with complex impairment, including those requiring spasticity management, prosthetic rehabilitation, pain intervention, musculoskeletal treatment and support with return to activity or work. She applies her expertise across multidisciplinary settings, coordinating medical, therapy and functional goals to improve mobility, self-care, participation and long-term outcome.

Her specialist interests also include cognitive and capacity assessment in patients with neurological disorders, rehabilitation after major trauma and the management of patients with lifelong disability. She has a particular interest in integrating neurorehabilitation, pain medicine and physical rehabilitation to support patients with overlapping neurological, orthopaedic and functional difficulties.

Dr Santullo is actively involved in rehabilitation medicine teaching, training and academic dissemination. She provides regional and national education for peers and trainees, is a recognised Trust and GMC educator, and supervises rehabilitation trainees. She has published on spinal cord injury and pain intervention, contributed a book chapter on image-guided injection techniques, and presented internationally on traumatic brain injury, spinal injury and rehabilitation outcomes.