Case report 20/09/2019 Accidental anaesthetic awareness Preview Article Accidental anaesthetic awareness Time to read article: 2 mins Close Preview A patient makes a claim against an anaesthetist member following intra-operative accidental awareness, which she alleged resulted in psychiatric injury. Read more Article contains Text Tagged in... Record keeping Claims Anaesthetics Casebook
Case report 17/09/2019 A problematic knee replacement Preview Article A problematic knee replacement Time to read article: 2 mins Close Preview A case study looking at post-surgery complications. It is important to acknowledge patient dissatisfaction and agree a plan for ongoing care. Read more Article contains Text Tagged in... Orthopaedics
Articles and features 04/09/2019 Presumed consent for organ donation: what’s changing where? Preview Article Presumed consent for organ donation: what’s changing where? Time to read article: 3 mins Close Preview In a recent Medical Protection survey almost a third of doctors questioned were not comfortable discussing organ donation with a patient. With different laws across the UK and further changes imminent, this is maybe not surprising Read more Article contains Text Tagged in... Communication New Doctor Consent Decision Making
Articles and features 29/08/2019 Should I report that my patient is unfit to drive? Preview Article Should I report that my patient is unfit to drive? Time to read article: 3 mins Close Preview Medical Protection advice line often receives queries from doctors concerned about patients that are driving whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Kate Cowan, advisory case manager, shares our advice. Read more Article contains Text Tagged in... Confidentiality Communication
Articles and features 16/08/2019 Can your practice staff also be your patients? Preview Article Can your practice staff also be your patients? Time to read article: 3 mins Close Preview Situations where a doctor is both an employer and the treating clinician of a patient are problematic and should be avoided. Sarah Pickering, advisory case manager at Medical Protection, looks at a recent query from the advice line Read more Article contains Text Tagged in... Prescribing Confidentiality General practice
Articles and features 16/08/2019 Medical Protection successfully defends GP practice in fatal sepsis case Preview Article Medical Protection successfully defends GP practice in fatal sepsis case Time to read article: 4 mins Close Preview Medical Protection litigation solicitor Suzanne Tate looks at a claim involving a missed diagnosis of sepsis and the work of Medical Protection in successfully defending seven GP members Read more Article contains Text Tagged in... Competence Decision Making Successful Defence Claims
Case report 01/08/2019 Accidental anaesthetic awareness Preview Article Accidental anaesthetic awareness Time to read article: 2 mins Close Preview A patient makes a claim against an anaesthetist member following intra-operative accidental awareness, which she alleged resulted in psychiatric injury. Read more Article contains Text Tagged in... Claims Casebook Anaesthetics Record keeping
Case report 18/07/2019 An early presentation Preview Article An early presentation Time to read article: 2 mins Close Preview Baby T was eight weeks old when his mother brought him to his GP’s morning surgery. His mother had become increasingly concerned about his general irritability and frequent crying episodes, which lasted up to two hours. These had become apparent over the past three days, not settling with breast feeding. Read more Article contains Text Tagged in... Diagnosis GP locum Claims Managing clinical risk General practice
Case report 18/07/2019 Missed critical limb ischaemia Preview Article Missed critical limb ischaemia Time to read article: 3 mins Close Preview 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. Read more Article contains Text Tagged in... Diagnosis Managing clinical risk Negligence General practice Casebook Scotland Medical Records
Case report 18/07/2019 Back again with cauda equina syndrome Preview Article Back again with cauda equina syndrome Time to read article: 2 mins Close Preview When Mrs C, a keen golfer in her early forties, began to experience constant pain in her lower back, she consulted a GP at her local surgery. Dr P took a history of slow onset of pain with restricted mobility. He did not examine her, but prescribed an NSAID and advised Mrs C to return in two weeks if there was no improvement. Read more Article contains Text Tagged in... General practice Managing clinical risk GP locum Orthopaedics Diagnosis
Articles and features 09/07/2019 Non-compliant patient sues doctor: whose fault is it? Preview Article Non-compliant patient sues doctor: whose fault is it? Time to read article: 4 mins Close Preview Whilst doctors have a duty of care for their patients, and their primary concern should be their wellbeing, how do we establish patient responsibility for their own wellbeing? Dr Dawn McGuire, Medical Claims Adviser, looks into contributory negligence and whether we can define patient responsibility. Read more Article contains Text Tagged in... Negligence
Case report 01/07/2019 An uncollected prescription Preview Article An uncollected prescription Time to read article: 2 mins Close Preview An elderly patient dies after his prescription goes uncollected. Who is at fault – the GP or the patient’s care home? Medical Protection assisted a member at the resulting inquest. Read more Article contains Text Tagged in... Casebook Inquests General practice
Case report 01/07/2019 Treating asthma over the phone Preview Article Treating asthma over the phone Time to read article: 3 mins Close Preview Dr T’s deskilling in resuscitation leads to a patient death and a claim. Read more Article contains Text Tagged in... Casebook Competence Communication
Case report 01/07/2019 Too close to home Preview Article Too close to home Time to read article: 2 mins Close Preview This psychiatric claim underlines the perils of treating those close to you. Read more Article contains Text Tagged in... Casebook
Case report 20/06/2019 Delayed diagnosis of lung cancer Preview Article Delayed diagnosis of lung cancer Time to read article: 2 mins Close Preview Mr U has a hernia repair and is later diagnosed with lung cancer. He makes a claim against two surgeons involved, alleging it should have been identified sooner. Read more Article contains Text Tagged in... Claims Casebook Diagnosis
Articles and features 18/06/2019 Testamentary capacity – understanding the part you play Preview Article Testamentary capacity – understanding the part you play Time to read article: 4 mins Close Preview Navigating the legal background and providing practical advice for doctors, Ricky Kimachia, advisory case manager at Medical Protection, considers recent queries from members regarding testamentary capacity. Read more Article contains Text Tagged in... Capacity
Articles and features 17/06/2019 The Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB): what you need to know Preview Article The Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB): what you need to know Time to read article: 3 mins Close Preview When investigating patient safety incidents, it is vital that this is done in an open and honest manner, without apportionment of blame. The Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) has operated since 2017 but what should you do if you become part of an investigation? Sarah Pickering, advisory case manager at Medical Protection, finds out Read more Article contains Text Tagged in... Confidentiality
Case report 04/06/2019 Paraplegia follows epidural Preview Article Paraplegia follows epidural Time to read article: 3 mins Close Preview Consent and record-keeping are at the heart of this claim, which sees a patient left paraplegic following an epidural. Read more Article contains Text Tagged in... Consent Casebook Anaesthetics
Case report 29/05/2019 Video: A Nitrofurantoin Problem Preview Article Video: A Nitrofurantoin Problem Time to read article: 2 mins Close Preview A doctor's failure to link raised ALT levels with a patient's use of nitrofurantoin led to a complaint being brought against them. Watch this short video to find out how the situation arose and advice Medical Protection gave. Read more Article contains Video Tagged in... Prescribing Claims Competence Complaints Casebook Communication
Articles and features 23/05/2019 Why the way errors are investigated needs to change Preview Article Why the way errors are investigated needs to change Time to read article: 2 mins Close Preview Dr Pallavi Bradshaw, Education Services Lead (UK) at Medical Protection, says it is unfair that doctors are being held responsible for mistakes that have been caused by system failings Read more Article contains Text
Articles and features 22/05/2019 Adult safeguarding and confidentiality – disclosing information to th... Preview Article Adult safeguarding and confidentiality – disclosing information to the Office of the Public Guardian Time to read article: 4 mins Close Preview Knowing when you can disclose sensitive patient information is a notoriously complex area. Sarah Pickering, advisory case manager at Medical Protection, considers some recent queries from members regarding disclosures to the Office of the Public Guardian Read more Article contains Text Tagged in... Confidentiality
Case report 22/05/2019 A tale of two doctors: the junior and the consultant Preview Article A tale of two doctors: the junior and the consultant Time to read article: 3 mins Close Preview Dr Marika Davies, medicolegal consultant, looks at the recent case of GA v Greater Glasgow Health Board [2019] CSOH 31, where the death of a 77-year-old patient raised questions over where the liability for the negligence lay: the junior doctor or the consultant? Read more Article contains Text Tagged in... Communication Claims Diagnosis
Articles and features 21/05/2019 A potted history of medicine Preview Article A potted history of medicine Time to read article: 2 mins Close Preview Throughout history, doctors have treated patients, and doctors have made mistakes. We delve deep into the past to see what doctors used to get away with Read more Article contains Text Tagged in... Complaints Diagnosis
News and updates 10/05/2019 Withdrawing treatment: the legal position Preview Article Withdrawing treatment: the legal position Time to read article: 1 mins Close Preview In 2018, the Supreme Court ruled that healthcare professionals across the UK no longer need to seek legal permission to withdraw treatment from patients in a permanent vegetative state Read more Article contains Text Tagged in... End of Life Care Communication