Following the rise in popularity of medical tourism and long NHS waiting lists, patients are seeking more medical treatment abroad. Julie Baylis, Case Manager at Medical Protection, explores the recent trend of patients seeking bariatric surgery overseas and returning to the UK for follow up care.

Patients often choose to email practices in the hope of receiving prompt answers to their medical queries. Dr Rachel Birch, Medicolegal Consultant at Medical Protection, offers some practical tips to help reduce risk and manage email contact safely.

In late 2022 Medical Protection celebrated 15 years of its flagship Ethics For All conference in South Africa. During this year’s webinar for healthcare professionals, Dr Blesset Nkambule and Dr Zarina Sonday, Medicolegal Consultants at Medical Protection, took delegates through a series of frequently asked questions they come across while assisting Medical Protection members.

As a doctor or healthcare professional, your career deserves the best protection against claims of clinical negligence. There are two main types of professional indemnity and the differences can take time to understand. This article helps explain the difference between occurrence-based and claims-made protection.

Dr Lucy Hanington, Medicolegal Consultant at Medical Protection, stresses the importance of having a diverse pool of medical experts to call on.

This two and a half hour eLearning course is divided into nine modules of interactive content. It features interviews with leading experts working with the Mental Capacity Act.

Nearly half of healthcare professionals in the UK (46%) say their mental health is worse now than it was during the pandemic, and three quarters (75%) feel the Government is not doing enough to help healthcare professionals with mental health issues.

Both legislation and the GMC’s guidance emphasise that doctors should presume that adults have the capacity to consent to or refuse a proposed treatment unless it can be established that they lack that capacity.

Consent is an individualised process based on respect – it is more than a signature on a form, says medicolegal adviser Dr Gordon McDavid

Karen Ellison, Medicolegal Consultant at Medical Protection, talks from their own experience as working as a SAS-grade urogynecologist, about the continued undervaluing of specialty doctors and specialist grade doctors in the medical workforce.

From summer 2022 GP patients in England have been able to have fuller access to their records through the NHS App. Sarah Baggot, Case Manager at Medical Protection, outlines the process and provides practical advice.

What happens when separated parents ask for medical information about their child? Dr Heidi Mounsey, Medicolegal Consultant at Medical Protection, looks at this common query to our advice line.

Julie Baylis, Case Manager at Medical Protection, looks at a dilemma which is becoming an increasingly pressing concern for clinicians in the ever-evolving digital era.