One of the most difficult situations faced by any clinician is when you are concerned that a colleague’s behaviour, health or professional performance may be placing patients at risk. This factsheet outlines your duty to raise concerns when patients may be at risk of harm.
Mrs H was a 35-year-old teaching assistant who also had two school-aged children. She was obese with a BMI of 40. In 2006, she had seen Dr G with left knee pain. Dr G recorded that on examination her knee was tender over her medial joint line but was otherwise stable. He initially prescribed diclofenac and advised her to lose weight.
As a doctor, you may be asked to give evidence in many different types of tribunals, including criminal or civil courts, the coroner’s court and employment or mental health tribunals. This factsheet gives further information about what to expect and how to prepare.
The sooner you call MPS about an ethical or legal dilemma, the sooner the matter can be resolved. Professor Carol Seymour, Dr Tom Mosedale, Dr Richard Brittain and Sara Williams explore how and why Collateral-damage foundation doctors get into troubleCollateral-damage foundation doctors get into trouble
The path of a clinical negligence claim is often long and complex. The eventual outcome is affected by a number of key factors; MPS claims manager and solicitor Antoinette Coltsmann takes an in-depth look at a recent MPS case.
“On the first day of Christmas my Consultant said to me…” Christmas can be a challenging time for foundation doctors in hospitals. Medicolegal Adviser Dr Clare Redmond advises on how to survive the festive season.
The words CQC and inspection can strike fear into the hearts of practices; what can your practice do to get through this daunting time? Charlotte Hudson investigates.
An inspector calls at... Cross Hills Group Practice
Time to read article: 6 mins
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Cross Hills is a semi-rural practice on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales, located between Keighley and Skipton. Part of the Airedale Wharfedale and Craven Clinical Commissioning Group, it is a training practice with just over 12,000 patients, ten GPs, one Registrar, two advanced nurse practitioners and a full practice nursing team, as well as dedicated admin support staff.
Complaints in health and social care: standards and guidelines for resolution and learning (2009) aims to provide a simple, consistent approach for staff who handle complaints, and for patients who raise complaints across all health and social care services.
One incident can be investigated in a number of different ways – as a complaint, a clinical negligence claim, a criminal case, a disciplinary matter by your employer, a Coroner’s inquest or a complaint to the GMC. An important starting point is your written report on the circumstances of the incident. This factsheet gives more information about writing this report.
Patient safety in healthcare has never been more in the spotlight. Events such as the Stafford Hospital scandal and the subsequent Francis Report have raised awareness that at times patients receive suboptimal care.
In the second part of his four-part series exploring elements of the new Good Medical Practice, Professor Sir Peter Rubin, chair of the GMC, looks at conflicts of interest
How does a nurse practitioner run a successful GP practice? Charlotte Hudson chats to Carol Sears who is the clinical director of The Cuckoo Lane Practice in Hanwell, London
The medical law and ethics that pertain to safe prescribing
Time to read article: 2 mins
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Dr Stephanie Bowm, MPS Director of Policy and Communications, provides a reminder of the importance of following GMC guidance when prescribing medication.
Parental responsibility refers to the rights and responsibilities that most parents have in respect of their children. This factsheet gives advice on who has parental responsibility and where responsibility lies in situations in which there are disagreements over the best interests of the child.
Apart from certain treatments carried out under the Mental Health Act and some forms of fertility treatment, there is no legal requirement to obtain written consent, but most health organisations have policies stipulating when written consent should be obtained. Employees are expected to be familiar with these and adhere to them.
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