Mr B, a 42-year-old builder, attended his GP, Dr S, with a three-week history of back pain and left sided sciatica. Dr S found nothing of concern on further questioning or examination, so made a referral for physiotherapy and recommended ibuprofen.
Mrs S, a 27-year-old Romanian woman who lived with her husband in the UK, became pregnant and presented to her local GP surgery to commence antenatal care. Mrs S did not speak English and usually brought a family member with her to interpret.
Mrs S was a 36-year-old patient diagnosed with a benign giant cell tumour of the sacrum. She was seen by Mr A, consultant in orthopaedic oncology, and listed for resection of the lesion.
Mrs L, a teacher, was first prescribed the oral contraceptive pill microgynon by her GP, Dr G, when she was 17. Her blood pressure was taken and recorded as normal. At this time, no other mention was made in the records of her risk profile or family history.
Mrs Y, a 39-year-old chef, opted to M see consultant obstetrician Mr B for private antenatal care. It was her first pregnancy and other than a BMI of 30 she had no pre-existing medical problems.
Mr P, a right-handed project manager, developed a stiff right elbow following a previous injury, and had reached the limit of his progress with physiotherapy. X-rays showed degenerative changes and he was referred to an orthopaedic consultant, Mr A, who diagnosed osteoarthritis of his elbow.
Mr K was a 36-year-old man who ran a pub. Mr K smoked and drank heavily. Mr K’s dentist had noticed a painless swelling on the right side of his neck during a routine check-up and asked him to see his GP.
Mrs B was a 27-year-old secretary with a ten-year-old daughter. She had just enjoyed a trip to Pakistan where she had been visiting relations. Three days after her return she developed profuse, watery diarrhoea.
Miss F, an 18-year-old university student, had been taking the combined oral contraceptive pill microgynon for 18 months for dysmenorrhoea, when she presented to her GP Dr K worried about acne on her back.
Mr G was a 62-year-old office worker; he was overweight (BMI 29) and suffered from exercise-related angina. Mr G had several risk factors for ischaemic heart disease including smoking, diabetes mellitus and hypercholesterolaemia. Following a positive exercise test, a coronary angiography confirmed triple vessel coronary artery disease with a left ventricular ejection fraction of 45%. He was referred to Mr F, a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon, for consideration of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.
Dr James Thorpe, Medicolegal Adviser at Medical Protection, reflects on a common issue where junior doctors are asked to perform roles outside their competence, in particular taking informed consent for surgical procedures and other invasive investigations
Patients overtly coerced into undergoing treatment they do not want can rightly claim that their “consent” was not given freely and is therefore not valid. Cases of overt coercion are rare, but there are circumstances in which patients may feel that they have been covertly pushed into accepting treatment they would prefer not to have had. For example, in some circumstances patients may find it very difficult to say “No” to the proposed treatment, or to challenge the doctor’s assumption that they would have no objections to going ahead.
Whether it’s a revised piece of GMC guidance, or a Bill going through the Scottish Parliament, we use our expertise to inform debates about changes that could affect your practice.
Mrs M was a 64-year-old care assistant in a retirement home. She visited her GP with a two-month history of blood in her stools, altered bowel habit, and intermittent lower abdominal discomfort.
Opinion: Failure to test for HIV infection: A medicolegal question?
Time to read article: 5 mins
Close Preview
Dr Michael Rayment and Dr Ann Sullivan, Department of Sexual Health and HIV Medicine, Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust (on behalf of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, and the British HIV Association).
Choosing a career in general practice can be both rewarding and challenging. We understand that sometimes General Practice can be a daunting environment for a new trainee, not accustomed to the independent working and the pressure of being that first port of call and diagnosis for patients entering the health service.
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.