Three-year-old Matthew was brought to the local A&E department by his mum, Mrs U. She told Dr M, the attending doctor, that Matthew had fallen from a chair three days ago and, although he seemed unharmed at the time, he was now refusing to walk.
Patient B, a 70-year-old female, with a history of dementia, stroke and pneumonia, was admitted to the emergency room of a private hospital in a coma. She had advanced lung cancer and was well-known to the physician, Dr Y, who was called to see her.
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.
Patients overtly coerced into undergoing treatment they do not want can rightly claim that their “consent” was not given freely and is therefore not valid. Cases of overt coercion are rare, but there are circumstances in which patients may feel that they have been covertly pushed into accepting treatment they would prefer not to have had. For example, in some circumstances patients may find it very difficult to say “No” to the proposed treatment, or to challenge the doctor’s assumption that they would have no objections to going ahead.
This workshop gives you a thorough grounding in the issues surrounding managing risk through communication. It introduces proven preventative skills and techniques you can implement immediately to reduce your exposure to litigation and complaints, improving patient safety.
This workshop highlights the importance of well-organised medical records, to aid continuity of care and ensure good medical practice. Through a range of presentations, discussions, case scenarios and practical exercises, it highlights the importance of accurate and up-to-date medical records for both patient care and professional defence.
Whether it’s a revised piece of GMC guidance, or a Bill going through the Scottish Parliament, we use our expertise to inform debates about changes that could affect your practice.
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.
Opinion: Failure to test for HIV infection: A medicolegal question?
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Dr Michael Rayment and Dr Ann Sullivan, Department of Sexual Health and HIV Medicine, Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust (on behalf of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, and the British HIV Association).
Choosing a career in general practice can be both rewarding and challenging. We understand that sometimes General Practice can be a daunting environment for a new trainee, not accustomed to the independent working and the pressure of being that first port of call and diagnosis for patients entering the health service.
MPS has seen a steady rise in the number of claims involving practice nurses, with ‘delay in diagnosis’ being the most common type of claim. Kate Taylor, Clinical Risk Manager, MPS Educational Services, reveals more
Read real-life cases of complaints, claims and clinical negligence taken from our archives.
Chosen to give you clear learning points to help you avoid similar situations and reduce your risk, the cases also feature advice from medicolegal experts.
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