Vol. 3 No. 4 2009

It may be getting colder as winter sets in but the issues in general practice are certainly hotting up. New GMC confidentiality guidance came into force in October, requiring GPs to change the way they share confidential information. This is to be closely followed by the introduction of full GMC licensing in November.

Furthermore, updated health and safety guidance has escaped the notice of many practices, which could leave them in a sticky situation if an adverse event occurs. Nasar Farooq from Croner Consulting, who specialises in health and safety law, shares his ten top tips for practices to follow to protect themselves from the new penalties that this Act brings in.

A topic that is never off MPS’s radar is the role of the chaperone. MPS regularly receives calls from GPs with questions in relation to the role of the chaperone. In this issue, I answer frequently asked questions on this topic, such as what to do if a chaperone is not available, or if a patient declines to have a chaperone.

I hope you enjoy this edition of Your Practice.

Dr Richard Stacey
Editor-in-chief