Mandatory reporting - should doctors be policing our communities?
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Trust sits at the heart of the doctor-patient relationship – it is fundamental. I for one have discussed issues with my GP which I would never dream of discussing with friends and family, and as a doctor myself, have been at the receiving end of equally personal and confidential information from patients.
Commenting on the GMC’s State of Medical Education and Practice in the UK report
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The GMC is right to acknowledge the 'state of unease in the profession’- patient expectations are changing and GPs are more likely to be sued now than ever before. It is important to strike a balance between holding doctors to account and reducing unnecessary pressures.
There is no escaping the fact that ‘Dr Google’ is becoming more and more influential in GP consultations. At Medical Protection, we commissioned a YouGov online survey of 2021 British adults to look at the pros and cons of seeking medical advice from the internet.
Professor Allan Gaw, from the National Institute for Health Research - Clinical Research Network, shares his top ten tips for making effective decisions.
“Respect for the autonomous choices of persons runs as deep in common morality as any principle.” – TL Beauchamp and JF Childress, Principles of Biomedical Ethics (2001)
Top 10 things to consider when planning an elective
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When planning your elective, its essential to stay organised and have the right measures in place to help make your experience as stress free as possible.
Mental Capacity Act 2005 – General principles - England and Wales
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The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (the Act) aims to protect people who lack capacity, and maximise their ability to make decisions or participate in decision-making. The Act is underpinned by five statutory principles. This factsheet sets out these principles and how they should be applied.
Medication errors account for approximately 20% of all clinical negligence claims against doctors in both primary and secondary care. The costs associated with adverse events and inappropriate prescribing has been estimated at more than £750 million per year. This factsheet gives advice about avoiding prescribing errors.
Prescription for Risk – A prescribing workshop for nurses
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This workshop has been developed to help nurses who are working in specialist roles to increase awareness of the potential for things to go wrong and to practice safely, particularly with regards to prescribing.
Parental responsibility is a legal term which refers to all the rights, duties, powers, responsibilities and authority which a parent of a child has in relation to the child and his/ her property.
Respect for patients’ autonomy is expressed in consent law; to impose care or treatment on people without respecting their wishes and right to self-determination is not only unethical, but illegal. The approach to consent in Northern Ireland is currently governed by common law.
Consent – Children and young people - Northern Ireland
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Valid consent is just as important when treating children and young people as it is with adults. In some situations children are able to give consent themselves, and sometimes others need to take the decision on their behalf. This factsheet sets out the basic information to enable you to obtain the appropriate consent from children and young people.
Doctors may, on occasion, receive a request from a patient’s employer, an insurer or from a government department, for a medical report to be delivered directly to the relevant department, without the patient seeing it.
Top 10 tips for interacting with colleagues from other specialties
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Professor Allan Gaw, from the National Institute for Health Research - Clinical Research Network, shares his advice on what to think about when interacting with other healthcare professionals
There is a certain ambiguity surrounding chaperones and what exactly their purpose is. Below are common questions that Medical Protection receives about chaperones.
One of the greatest challenges a doctor will face during their career is in ensuring they respond well when things go wrong. Even the most experienced doctors make mistakes but it can be particularly difficult to deal with when you are one of the more junior members of the team.
The prospect of facing criminal investigations during your career
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With the introduction of the new criminal offence of wilful neglect, there are now more criminal sanctions for doctors than ever before. There also seems to be more coverage of cases involving doctors which in my experience has all created a much greater awareness of, and fear about, the potential to end up in front of a judge.
Unfortunately things do go wrong in healthcare and sometimes patients are dissatisfied, disappointed or upset with the care that they have received. Medical Protection supports open communication, and we encourage members to apologise where things have gone wrong, regardless of fault.
You'll notice a few things have changed on our website. After asking our members what they want in an online platform, we've made it easier to access our membership benefits and created a more personalised user experience.
Why not take our quick 60-second tour? We'll show you how it all works and it should only take a minute.
