Reinventing record keeping with GPConsult
We all know the importance of keeping good records, and now GPConsult.co.uk makes it easier than ever for doctors to make clear, timely patient notes. GP Dr Rima Aboud talks about her experience with record keeping and how this new resource can help.
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Monkeypox update: informing local authorities of infectious diseases
Monkeypox update: informing local authorities of infectious diseases
Ceylan Simsek, Medical Case Manager, and Dr Karen Ellison, Medicolegal Consultant, both of Medical Protection, look at the legislation behind your statutory duty to notify.
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Tax-related pension considerations
Despite the changes in recent years, being a member of the NHS Pension Scheme should still provide you with a secure retirement. These changes require you to work longer than previous generations, but the level of contributions payable for the return is still attractive. This article explains some of the recent pension changes and important pension tax-related matters.
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The Tax System Explained
If you’re just starting out in private medicine, you may only have come across the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) system, which tends to look after itself. When you’re running a business, you will have additional requirements to register with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), earnings to declare under Self Assessment, and taxes to pay directly to HMRC.
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Confronting fears of openness
Being a medical expert: do you have what it takes?
Medical experts are crucial to many different legal processes. They can assist in clinical negligence claims, regulatory matters, Inquests and even criminal cases.
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Tackling sepsis
Sepsis is a serious condition, with significant medicolegal risk. Dr Dawn McGuire, Medicolegal Consultant at Medical Protection, looks at where the risk lies
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Trading structure
When starting in private practice, how you are structured for tax purposes is an extremely important decision. Picking the most appropriate trading structure for your individual circumstances will ensure you are tax efficient and maximise the return on your hard efforts. This article looks at the more common trade structures adopted for private work.
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Running a business
One of the main factors to consider when you start out in private practice is that you are running a business. It sounds obvious, but with little or no financial training it is easy to fall into the trap of not running your private practice like a business, and this almost always leads to financial loss. The second article in this series looks at the practical steps required to run your private practice as a business.
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Dealing with media enquiries about your patients
Not only is it important to be well equipped to deal with the challenges and pitfalls that might arise unexpectedly, but also to be prepared to speak to the press or deal with media enquiries following a patient’s treatment.
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Risky Business: When patients ignore the risks
Dr Gabrielle Pendlebury, Medicolegal Consultant at Medical Protection, advises on how best to manage a scenario where a patient doesn’t want to know the risks
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Consent and alternative treatment options
High profile cases have put the spotlight on the consent process and clinicians are increasingly aware of the risks; however, Medical Protection data shows a number of claims alleging that a clinician failed to explain alternative treatment options. Dr Emma Green, Medicolegal Consultant at Medical Protection, looks at the case law surrounding therapeutic options, GMC guidance on consent, and how these impact on the information provided to patients during the consent process.
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Considering the accidental storage of human tissue
A consultant in England contacted the Medical Protection advice line after she found a human skeleton in her loft while in the process of moving house.
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Great communication skills can lower risk of malpractice
Edward Leigh of The Center for Healthcare Communication argues that good communication with your patients has the potential to lower the chance of malpractice claims - even when mistakes are made.
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Key considerations in the new firearms licensing guidance
The new guidance for firearms licensing, including arrangements for medical checks for firearm certificates, came into effect in November last year in England and Wales, and on 31 January this year in Scotland. Ceylan Simsek, Case Manager, and Dr Karen Ellison, Medicolegal Consultant at Medical Protection, discuss the key considerations for GPs
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Commentary: A case of wrongful conception
Dr Beth Walker, Medicolegal Consultant at Medical Protection, analyses a recent case and looks at what it means for clinicians
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