Prof Ranjit Akeolkar

Professor Ranjit Akolekar is a Consultant in Fetal and Maternal Medicine and Obstetrics at Medway NHS Foundation Trust, where he has served as Clinical Lead for the Regional Fetal Medicine Centre since 2011. He has previously held senior NHS leadership roles including Clinical Director for Women's Health and Divisional Medical Director for Women and Children's Services. His principal areas of expertise include complex and high-risk pregnancy, prenatal diagnosis, fetal abnormalities, placental disorders, fetal growth restriction, preeclampsia, preterm birth and stillbirth prevention.

His clinical practice encompasses the full spectrum of antenatal, intrapartum and specialist fetal medicine care. He manages complex maternal and fetal conditions and leads the regional Fetal Medicine Service for Kent and Medway and the Placenta Accreta Spectrum service for Kent, Surrey and Sussex, working closely with maternity units across the region. His specialist practice includes the management of placenta praevia, vasa praevia, diabetes in pregnancy, obstetric cholestasis and multiple pregnancy, alongside complications of labour and delivery.

Professor Akolekar is also Professor of Fetal and Maternal Medicine at Canterbury Christ Church University. His clinical authority is supported by an extensive academic career, including more than 250 peer-reviewed publications and contributions to the development of national and international clinical guidelines, including RCOG guidance.

Professor Ranjit Akolekar commenced expert witness practice in 2025 and provides independent expert opinion in Clinical Negligence claims, accepting instructions from both claimants and defendants. His medico-legal practice encompasses screening and advisory opinions, breach of duty assessments and causation reports.

His expertise is particularly relevant to obstetric and fetal medicine claims involving complex and high-risk pregnancy, prenatal diagnosis, fetal abnormalities, placental disorders, fetal growth restriction, preeclampsia, stillbirth, preterm delivery and complications of labour and delivery. His experience in maternity clinical governance, serious incident investigation, perinatal mortality review and NHS Resolution case review also informs his consideration of standards of care, patient safety and the application of national maternity guidance within Clinical Negligence cases.

Professor Akolekar’s clinical practice is focused on the assessment and management of complex pregnancies involving maternal, fetal and placental complications. A significant part of his work involves prenatal diagnosis, including the assessment of fetal abnormalities, genetic and chromosomal conditions, alongside the management of pregnancies affected by fetal growth restriction and multiple pregnancy.

His practice includes the management of maternal and placental conditions such as diabetes in pregnancy, obstetric cholestasis, placenta praevia, placenta accreta spectrum and vasa praevia. He also manages pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia and those at risk of preterm delivery or stillbirth.

His intrapartum practice extends to complications arising during labour and delivery, including caesarean section and assisted vaginal delivery. His work across antenatal, intrapartum and fetal medicine enables him to manage complex pregnancies throughout different stages of maternity care.

Professor Akolekar has authored more than 250 peer-reviewed publications and contributed to national and international clinical guidelines. He regularly presents at leading scientific conferences and has significant educational responsibilities as Lead for Obstetric Ultrasound Training and a Subspecialty Training Programme Supervisor, providing teaching, mentorship and clinical supervision to developing fetal medicine specialists.