Dr Robert Laidlaw
Medical Director · MBBS (James Cook University)
Dr Robert Laidlaw is the founding Medical Director of Claims Doctor. His career spans emergency medicine, neurosurgery, drug and alcohol medicine, and professional sports medicine — giving him a breadth of clinical experience that directly informs how he assesses complex injury claims and writes documentation that stands up to insurer and legal scrutiny.
He has served on the National Expert Reference Panel for the Australian Department of Health and as an expert advisor to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Clinical Background
Dr Laidlaw holds an MBBS from James Cook University. His clinical career has taken him through some of the most demanding medical environments in Australia, building deep expertise in trauma, complex injuries, and high-acuity presentations.
Emergency Medicine
Dr Laidlaw has worked as an Emergency Doctor across multiple facilities, managing acute trauma, complex medical presentations, and time-critical decision-making. This frontline experience gives him the clinical fluency to rapidly assess injury severity, identify complications, and document findings with the precision that insurers and legal professionals require.
Neurosurgery
As a Neurosurgery Registrar, Dr Laidlaw gained direct experience with spinal injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and complex neurological presentations. This background is particularly valuable when assessing WorkCover claims involving back injuries, spinal conditions, head injuries, and neurological deficits — some of the most complex and contested claim types.
Sports Medicine
Dr Laidlaw served as Club Doctor for the North Sydney Bears and St George Illawarra Dragons, managing injury assessment, rehabilitation planning, and return-to-play decisions for professional athletes. This experience in injury management and functional capacity assessment translates directly to writing return-to-work plans and Certificates of Capacity for injured workers.
Governance and Advisory Roles
Beyond clinical practice, Dr Laidlaw is recognised as an authority in clinical governance — the systems, standards, and processes that ensure medical practice is safe, effective, and compliant with regulatory requirements.
- National Expert Reference Panel, Australian Department of Health — Contributing to national health policy and regulatory frameworks at the Commonwealth level.
- World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Advisor — Providing clinical and governance expertise to the WHO on international health matters.
- Clinical Governance Specialist — Dr Laidlaw has built clinical governance frameworks, compliance systems, and standard operating procedures across regulated healthcare environments. He specialises in identifying clinical risks before they escalate.
Why This Matters for Claims Patients
In a Claims Doctor capacity, Dr Laidlaw's combination of frontline clinical expertise and governance experience means that every consultation is both clinically thorough and documentation-perfect. Certificates are written to SIRA standards. Work capacity assessments are detailed and defensible. Return-to-work plans are practical and achievable.
Insurers accept Claims Doctor certificates because they are completed by a doctor who understands what insurers, employers, and regulators need to see.
Book a Consultation with Dr Laidlaw
Same-day video appointments available. Certificate issued during the call.
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