It is one of the great ironies that healthcare professionals are, generally, poor at taking care of their own health. Yet it is one of the core set of guidelines in Good Medical Practice that you have a responsibility to look after your health - if not for your own sake, then at least for your patients.
Honesty and integrity are central to probity and define how any professional person should act: being upstanding and law-abiding, and respectful of the trust placed in you by others.
The GMC's expectations on relationships with patients
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Around 7% of allegations heard at fitness-to-practise hearings in 2011 were with regards to relationships with patients. As a doctor’s profession is defined by the duty of care to patients, it follows that standards of professionalism are entwined with the strength of the relationship between doctor and patient.
Professionalism - The GMC's expectations on working with colleagues
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It is perhaps an understatement to say that teamwork is integral to the safe delivery of care within medicine, and the professional approach to good teamwork centres on good communication, mutual respect for others and proactively responding to any deficiencies in the team.
The GMC and the doctor in question are both invited to attend. The GMC is normally represented at the hearing by a barrister and the doctor is usually present and legally represented. Both parties may call witnesses to give evidence, who may be crossexamined by the other party. The Panel may also put questions to the witnesses.
The Care.data programme that was due to be rolled out in 2014 was delayed following criticism of the way the information campaign supporting it was implemented.
The CQC is the regulator for health and social care in England. It monitors, inspects and regulates general practices to make sure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety.
You can get direct assistance from Medical Protection by requesting a Clinical Risk Self Assessment (CRSA), which is a systematic approach that identifies risk and develops practical solutions, as one of the benefits of membership. Our experience has been that a CRSA is invaluable in assisting practices in preparing for their CQC inspection and also post-CQC inspection, to assist with issues raised by the CQC inspector.
Clinical negligence costs at tipping point - urgent reform needed
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NHS clinical negligence costs have increased by 72% over last 5 years, Costs could reach £2.6bn a year by 2022, Current yearly costs equate to the cost of training 6500 new doctors.
Commenting on the consultation exploring changes to the framework which determines the Personal Injury Discount Rate
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Simon Kayll, CEO at the Medical Protection Society, comments on the consultation exploring changes to the framework which determines the Personal Injury Discount Rate
1 in 10 doctors offered Valentines card or gift from patient
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Around 10% of doctors and consultants in the UK (1 in 10) say they have been offered a Valentine’s Day card or gift from a patient during their career, according to a survey by a leading medical protection organisation.
An inquest is a fact-finding exercise that is conducted by the coroner and, in some cases, in front of a jury. The purpose of an inquest is to find out who died – when, where, how and in what circumstances. This factsheet gives further information about what happens at an inquest.
“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)
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.
Being subject to a complaint or investigation can be distressing and stressful. Our video series shows how Medical Protection will continue to provide you with personal support, advice and representation for a whole range of medicolegal concerns, protecting your career and reputation.
Our professional development courses are available when and where it suits you. From short online courses to face to-face-workshops, discover a range of CPD courses included in your membership.
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.
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.
