Dr Rachel Howells

Dr Rachel Howells is a Consultant Paediatrician with expertise in acute paediatrics and paediatric neurology at the Royal Devon University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and an expert witness with over 20 years' experience as a consultant. Her principal areas of expertise include acute paediatrics, paediatric neurology, epilepsy, headache disorders, functional neurological disorders, safeguarding, fabricated and induced illness (FII), non-accidental injury, poisoning and the assessment and management of acutely unwell children and young people.

Dr Howells provides comprehensive care for infants, children and adolescents presenting with a broad spectrum of acute medical, neurological and behavioural conditions. As Clinical Lead for Epilepsy, she has extensive experience diagnosing and managing epilepsy and other neurological disorders, alongside delivering specialist care for children with complex neurological presentations. Her acute paediatric practice encompasses the assessment and treatment of seriously ill children, while her neurological expertise supports the investigation and management of headaches, seizures, functional neurological disorders and other neurological conditions. A significant proportion of her work involves managing neurological presentations outside tertiary neuroscience centres, giving her direct experience of clinical decision-making in district general and regional hospitals.

In addition to her clinical practice, Dr Howells has held several senior leadership and educational roles that reinforce her authority within paediatrics. She is Clinical Lead for Acute Paediatrics and a national trainer in paediatric epilepsy and headache, is Named Doctor for Safeguarding Children, and leads medical appraisal within her NHS organisation while also acting as a clinical investigator for doctors experiencing performance concerns. These responsibilities reflect her commitment to maintaining high standards of clinical practice, patient safety and professional development across paediatric services.

Dr Rachel Howells has undertaken medico-legal work since 2016, providing independent expert opinion in clinical negligence and personal injury claims involving infants, children and young people. She accepts instructions on matters relating to acute paediatrics, paediatric neurology, functional neurological disorders, fabricated and induced illness (FII), safeguarding and non-accidental injury, preparing screening, breach of duty, causation, and condition and prognosis reports. Her medico-legal practice draws on extensive consultant experience in the assessment and management of acutely unwell children, neurological disorders and safeguarding concerns.

Dr Howells accepts instructions from both claimant and defendant parties and is particularly well placed to advise on cases involving epilepsy, paediatric headaches, neurological conditions, acute paediatric presentations, poisoning and suspected non-accidental injury, including complex diagnostic and safeguarding presentations, providing clear, balanced and evidence-based opinions for instructing solicitors. She has participated in joint expert meetings and conferences, prepared joint statements, contributed to expert consensus and presented expert evidence in court.

Dr Howells' clinical practice centres on the assessment and management of acutely unwell infants, children and young people presenting with a broad range of paediatric and neurological conditions. A significant proportion of her work involves the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy, headache disorders, functional neurological disorders and other neurological presentations, including children with complex or undifferentiated symptoms requiring specialist investigation and ongoing management, including those seen outside tertiary neuroscience centres. She also provides comprehensive acute paediatric care, assessing children with serious medical illness and coordinating multidisciplinary treatment where required.

Alongside her neurological practice, Dr Howells has extensive expertise in safeguarding and the clinical assessment of suspected non-accidental injury and fabricated and induced illness (FII), applying her experience to the evaluation of vulnerable children and the management of complex safeguarding concerns. She is also experienced in the assessment and treatment of poisoning, acute toxicology and other acute paediatric emergencies. Her day-to-day practice combines acute diagnostic assessment, complex diagnostic presentations, clinical governance and patient safety with long-term management of neurological conditions, enabling her to deliver evidence-based, patient-centred care across a wide spectrum of paediatric presentations while supporting families through complex diagnostic and treatment pathways.