Issue 3, Winter 2008

Your Practice is a magazine produced by MPS for the whole practice team. We aim to deliver the lowdown on the practice world that every member of the team needs to know. Every year dozens of doctors are held to account for serious adverse events and, in some instances, may be struck off the medical register. We want to support you
with the skills and knowledge you need as a team to deliver the best service to patients. Your Practice draws on the life experiences of real people and tackles the issues that face practice teams.

Common practice brings common risks. Julie Wilson is an experienced risk assessor who has visited hundreds of practices to identify the risks in general practice. There is no better person to identify the main risks of 2008. From prescribing to confidentiality, she shares a scenario of the most common risks and provides a practical solution.

Identifying risks is one way of safeguarding practices but another way is being explored in the Wirral. You can take the GP out of the surgery but you cannot take the practice out of the GP – Dr David Coombs is a GP with specialist interests. He runs a dermatology clinic and draws on his general practice skills to provide a service to the wider community.

Sara Williams, Editor