The BMA has announced further industrial action in its ongoing dispute with the Department of Health over the proposed junior doctor contracts. The first ‘emergency care only’ action is to take place 6 – 8 April, with full withdrawal of labour on 26 and 27 April.

We can provide members in the affected areas with the reassurance that we will support them to work above and beyond their normal hours in such circumstances.

Following feedback from you, we are pleased to announce some changes to how we set our GP membership subscriptions.

Doctors are increasingly using social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter and blogs to communicate with each other and with their patients.

Simon Kayll, Chief Executive of MPS, discusses the reasons behind the increases to subscription rates for private obstetricians

This guidance from MPS has been prepared in light of the concerns about the Ebola virus.

The Care.data programme that was due to be rolled out in 2014 was delayed following criticism of the way the information campaign supporting it was implemented. The new data-sharing initiative that will see patient information extracted from clinical records in order to support commissioning, planning and research will now not start taking patient data until a series of pilots starting Autumn 2014 have been completed.

Dr Ming-Keng Teoh, MPS's Head of Medical Services (Asia), has been awarded a Merit Award at the Singapore Medical Association (SMA) Annual Dinner 2012.

Sir Robert Francis QC is heading up an independent review into creating the open and honest reporting culture in the NHS. This was announced by the Secretary of State on 24 June 2014

Dr Graham Howarth has worked at the Medical Protection Society (MPS) for more than ten years,initially as a medicolegal adviser (MLA) and now as Head of Medical Services (Africa). Here he outlines the typical challenges he faces in his role

MPS feature on informed consent and shared decision-making published in August edition of SAMJ