GP Registrar

GP Registrar is a magazine that covers the medicolegal subjects that are important as you start working in general practice. You can download copies of recent editions from the links on the right.

Confidentiality

In a GP practice, closely involved with the local community and with an ongoing relationship with patients, maintaining the trust of patients is vital. This edition of GP Registrar takes you through the basic principles and highlights some areas to be wary of as you begin working in general practice.

Communication skills

Being able to communicate effectively is one of the most important skills of a GP. The successful application of your clinical skills depends on good communication with patients and colleagues.

Consent

Patients are now better informed, more demanding and want to be more closely involved with their treatment. Good consent facilitates this process, ensuring that the doctor-patient relationship is based on confidence and trust.

Good practice

Other editions of GP Registrar have looked at well-defined subjects – confidentiality, communication skills, medical records, for example – and how they affect your time as a GP registrar. In this edition we have taken a different approach, looking at some of the issues covered, broadly, by the term "good medical practice".

Prescribing

Prescribing errors are a common cause of complaint or claims against GPs. In this issue of GP Registrar we look at some of the problems that can occur, and suggest some ways of avoiding them.

Medical records

In a busy GP practice, where patients can see a number of different health professionals or be referred to colleagues in secondary care, it is essential that records are accurate and up-to-date. This issue provides a reminder of some basic principles of writing good medical records, highlights some potential pitfalls and offers some guidance on avoiding them.