A new duty of candour for all health, care and social work services comes into effect in Scotland on 1 April 2018. It places an expectation on organisations to be open, honest and supportive when there is an unexpected or unintended incident resulting in death or harm.
Fairer system for setting discount rate in England and Wales is welcome news
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Justice Secretary David Gauke has unveiled plans to introduce the Civil Liability Bill to parliament. The new Bill includes changes to the way the discount rate is set.
Evidence to the Professor Sir Norman Williams Review
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The Department of Health & Social Care recently launched a review in to the application of Gross Negligence manslaughter charges in healthcare settings. Read the full MPS submission to this review here.
The MPTS has concluded that the GMC’s allegations against surgeon David Sellu, whose gross negligent manslaughter case was quashed in November 2016, are not proved.
New data protection rules are coming into force on 25 May. Dr Rachel Birch, medicolegal adviser at Medical Protection, looks at two key areas that are changing.
Cosmetic injections and vaccinations: ask the expert
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Dr Rachel Birch, Medical Protection medicolegal adviser and Practice Matters editor-in-chief, answers some recent queries on cosmetic injections and vaccination errors.
The role of non-clinical staff in modern general practice is expanding. Julie Price, head of risk management and education consultancy at Medical Protection, looks at the risks of such staff managing correspondence
Dealing with staff absence can be a complex and time-consuming task for busy practices. Here employment law specialists Croner Consulting offer advice and guidance.
Commitment to fixed recoverable costs scheme is welcomed
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The Government has announced that an expert group will be formed to work on introducing a new cap on the amount of costs that lawyers can recover in clinical negligence cases. The proposed cap will be applied to all cases up to £25,000 and will help to save the NHS up to £45 million a year.
GMC should remain dedicated regulator in reform plans but opportunity for improvement must be seized
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While there is need for significant improvements to the GMC’s Fitness to Practise processes, and the legal framework which underpins regulation, the GMC should remain the dedicated regulator of the medical profession, the Medical Protection Society (MPS) said today.
MPS: Government review into how gross negligence manslaughter is applied in healthcare is important and timely
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Jeremy Hunt MP has announced an urgent review into how gross negligence manslaughter is applied in healthcare, following concerns around the Dr Bawa-Garba case.
Medical Protection shares concerns of Dr Bawa-Garba case
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Last week, the High Court handed down the judgement of the case of Dr Bawa-Garba vs the GMC. The judgement concluded that Dr Bawa-Garba should be erased from the medical register.
E-portfolios remain an important part of a doctor’s professional development
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Commenting on the concerns around e-portfolios, following the judgement on the Dr Bawa-Garba case – Dr Pallavi Bradshaw, Senior Medicolegal Adviser at Medical Protection said...
Medical Protection responds to the GMC’s ‘State of Medical Education and Practice in the UK’ 2015 report
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Medical Protection welcomes the insights which can be drawn from the General Medical Council’s (GMC) ‘State of Medical Education and Practice in the UK’ 2015 report.1 The report highlighted that of 2,750 complaints that the GMC investigated in 2014, 1,428 closed without further action. This means that more than half of all complaints that the GMC investigated closed with no further action on the practitioner. It was also reported that the average GMC case length was 6.2 months.
Being approached by the police can pose a dilemma: as a clinician, you have your own professional obligations. Dr Marika Davies, senior medicolegal adviser at Medical Protection, provides some clarity
Fear of legal action impacting on way GPs practise
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A significant number of GPs say the fear of being sued is a major factor in their decisions to order more tests, make more referrals or prescribe medication – according to survey results published by a leading medical protection organisation.
MPS response to GMC State of Medical Education and Practice report
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The General Medical Council’s State of Medical Education and Practice 2017 report has been published today. Commenting, Dr Pallavi Bradshaw, Senior Medicolegal Adviser at the Medical Protection Society, said:
“This report shows that the vast majority of GMC investigations are closed without action, the end result being that over a thousand doctors go through a needless, stressful and slow process each year...
MPS response to Justice Committee report on discount rate
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The Justice Select Committee has just published its report on the Government’s draft legislation on the discount rate. Commenting, Director of Claims Policy and Legal at the Medical Protection Society, Emma Hallinan, said...
Proposed merger of nine regulators should focus on fairness and accountability, not cost-cutting, says Medical Protection Senior Medicolegal Adviser Dr Pallavi Bradshaw
MPS: Cultural change key to open, learning healthcare environment in Scotland
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21 November 2017: We must strive for cultural change in healthcare where staff are trained and supported to be open about mistakes, learn from them and where senior clinicians lead by example - the Medical Protection Society (MPS) told a Scottish Parliament Health & Sport Committee today.
MPS comments on Government plans to reform health regulators
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Commenting on the Department of Health consultation to reform healthcare regulation, and as part of that, cut the number of regulators – Dr Pallavi Bradshaw, Senior Medicolegal Adviser at the Medical Protection Society, said...
Drawing upon a recently reported case, Medical Protection’s Senior Medicolegal Adviser Dr Pallavi Bradshaw emphasises why it is important to include reflections in your ePortfolio.
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