Explore resources to help you manage your practice and support your team, including making the most of the services available to you with a Medical Protection group scheme.
Chapter 4: Professionalism - What to do when things go wrong
Time to read article: 6 mins
Close Preview
The overwhelming majority of patients receive safe and effective care. However, when things do go wrong, it can be catastrophic for all involved. Part of being professional is having the knowledge and awareness to deal with such situations effectively.
Confidentiality – Disclosures relating to patients who are unable to consent - Wales
Time to read article: 4 mins
Close Preview
You owe a duty of confidentiality to all your patients, past or present, even if they are adults who lack capacity. You may be asked to provide information from the medical records of patients who are incapable of giving consent, are aged under 18, or have died. This factsheet gives you further information about dealing with these circumstances.
Making audio and visual recordings of patients - Wales
Time to read article: 4 mins
Close Preview
Making and using audio and visual recordings of patients can benefit medical training, research and treatment. However, it poses risks for doctors regarding consent and confidentiality.
Needlestick injuries can be classified as any piercing wound caused by a hypodermic needle, or by other sharp instruments or objects such as scalpels, mounted needles, broken glassware, etc.
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.
Domestic Violence Awareness Month: Concerned doctors reminded of their duty of patient confidentiality
Time to read article: 1 mins
Close Preview
Common situations where doctors seek advice from Medical Protection include requests for medical records by the police or social services, concerns raised by family or friends and being asked to provide a report on injuries.
Communicating with patients by text message - Wales
Time to read article: 2 mins
Close Preview
Text messaging allows practices to target and contact hundreds of patients within minutes. Patients can respond by text with replies automatically forwarded to a specified email address. Many practices are signing up to using a text messaging service to inform patients of appointments, flu vaccinations, etc.
Good medical records – whether electronic or handwritten – are essential for the continuity of care of your patients. Adequate medical records enable you or somebody else to reconstruct the essential parts of each patient contact without reference to memory. They should therefore be comprehensive enough to allow a colleague to carry on where you left off.
Certain circumstances can mean you are obliged to disclose information about a patient, even if you do not have their consent; under other circumstances, disclosure may be justifiable. This factsheet gives you further information about these circumstances.
Disclosures relating to patients unable to consent - Scotland
Time to read article: 4 mins
Close Preview
You owe a duty of confidentiality to all your patients, past or present, even if they are adults who lack capacity. You may be asked to provide information from the medical records of patients who are incapable of giving consent, are aged under 16, or have died. This factsheet gives you further information about dealing with these circumstances.
The Procurator Fiscal and Fatal Accident Inquiries - Scotland
Time to read article: 5 mins
Close Preview
If a death occurs in a violent or unnatural manner, in custody, or suddenly but without certain cause, the Procurator Fiscal has a duty to inquire into the death. This factsheet sets out the role of the Procurator Fiscal, the reporting process and what will happen once you have reported a death to the Procurator Fiscal.
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.
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.
GMC introduces statutory indemnity requirement for UK doctors
Time to read article: 1 mins
Close Preview
Throughout September the GMC will be contacting doctors to inform them of a new statutory requirement to maintain adequate and appropriate indemnity when practising medicine in the UK.
NHS England has mandated that from 1 October 2015 secure fax will no longer be permitted for sending discharge summaries to GPs from NHS hospitals or independent sector providers of acute services.
MPS appoints new Professional Services Executive Director
Time to read article: 1 mins
Close Preview
MPS, the world’s leading protection organisation for doctors, dentists and healthcare professionals, has appointed Dr Pardeep Sandhu as the new Professional Services Executive Director.
Confidentiality - Disclosures relating to patients unable to consent
Time to read article: 4 mins
Close Preview
You owe a duty of confidentiality to all your patients, past or present, even if they are adults who lack capacity. You may be asked to provide information from the medical records of patients who are incapable of giving consent, are aged under 18, or have died. This factsheet gives you further information about dealing with these circumstances.
The Care Act (2014) sets out the framework for local authorities to use (alongside health and social services)to protect adults considered at risk from abuse or neglect.
A number of MPS members have contacted us as they have received letters from a firm of solicitors, Messrs BLM, in relation to expert work carried out on behalf of the National Health Service Litigation Authority (NHSLA).
NHS LA triennial report: Action needed to drive down cost of clinical negligence, says MPS
Time to read article: 2 mins
Close Preview
NHS LA triennial report: Action needed to drive down cost of clinical negligence, says MPS In response to the Department of Health’s triennial review of the NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA), the Medical Protection Society (MPS) is pleased that the cost of clinical negligence is recognised as an issue but wants to see a debate on the merits of a limit on future earnings and future care costs
NHS liabilities of £28.3bn are unaffordable, reform needed says MPS
Time to read article: 2 mins
Close Preview
In response to the NHS LA’s estimates that £28.3bn will be needed to cover known and future claims for clinical negligence for past patient care – up by 10% on last year – the Medical Protection Society (MPS) urges the government to prioritise reform of the legal system.
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.