Mrs S, a 27-year-old Romanian woman who lived with her husband in the UK, became pregnant and presented to her local GP surgery to commence antenatal care. Mrs S did not speak English and usually brought a family member with her to interpret.
Mrs S was a 36-year-old patient diagnosed with a benign giant cell tumour of the sacrum. She was seen by Mr A, consultant in orthopaedic oncology, and listed for resection of the lesion.
Mrs L, a teacher, was first prescribed the oral contraceptive pill microgynon by her GP, Dr G, when she was 17. Her blood pressure was taken and recorded as normal. At this time, no other mention was made in the records of her risk profile or family history.
Mrs Y, a 39-year-old chef, opted to M see consultant obstetrician Mr B for private antenatal care. It was her first pregnancy and other than a BMI of 30 she had no pre-existing medical problems.
Mr P, a right-handed project manager, developed a stiff right elbow following a previous injury, and had reached the limit of his progress with physiotherapy. X-rays showed degenerative changes and he was referred to an orthopaedic consultant, Mr A, who diagnosed osteoarthritis of his elbow.
Mr K was a 36-year-old man who ran a pub. Mr K smoked and drank heavily. Mr K’s dentist had noticed a painless swelling on the right side of his neck during a routine check-up and asked him to see his GP.
Mrs B was a 27-year-old secretary with a ten-year-old daughter. She had just enjoyed a trip to Pakistan where she had been visiting relations. Three days after her return she developed profuse, watery diarrhoea.
Miss F, an 18-year-old university student, had been taking the combined oral contraceptive pill microgynon for 18 months for dysmenorrhoea, when she presented to her GP Dr K worried about acne on her back.
Mr G was a 62-year-old office worker; he was overweight (BMI 29) and suffered from exercise-related angina. Mr G had several risk factors for ischaemic heart disease including smoking, diabetes mellitus and hypercholesterolaemia. Following a positive exercise test, a coronary angiography confirmed triple vessel coronary artery disease with a left ventricular ejection fraction of 45%. He was referred to Mr F, a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon, for consideration of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.
Mr S was a 60-year-old lorry driver. He was overweight and smoked, and couldn’t walk far because he suffered with pain in his calves. This became so severe that he attended the out-of-hours service that evening.
Poor communication between doctors lies at the heart of many complaints, claims and disciplinary actions. Dr Mark Dinwoodie, consultant in medical education, explains the importance of maintaining good relationships with colleagues and communicating effectively with other health professionals
Dr James Thorpe, Medicolegal Adviser at Medical Protection, reflects on a common issue where junior doctors are asked to perform roles outside their competence, in particular taking informed consent for surgical procedures and other invasive investigations
Foundation doctors are increasingly using social media and smartphone apps to communicate with each other and senior colleagues. While this has many advantages, there are pitfalls to consider. Dr James Thorpe, Medicolegal Adviser at Medical Protection, investigates.
Mrs M was a 64-year-old care assistant in a retirement home. She visited her GP with a two-month history of blood in her stools, altered bowel habit, and intermittent lower abdominal discomfort.
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