Advice centre

Intimate examinations are something that every GP will have to carry out at some point in their career, but it’s important that they are conducted in an appropriate manner, especially if one is required during a home visit. Dr Gabrielle Pendlebury, medicolegal consultant at Medical Protection, gives her advice on how best to manage these situations

You are concerned there’s a small chance a patient might have cancer. You want to refer them for tests. Do you tell them the possible, albeit unlikely, diagnosis and risk upsetting or scaring them? Or do you try and keep them calm and not mention the C word at all?

Suzanne Creed, Clinical Risk Education Manager explains how to increase your understanding of conflict and provides some key strategies to deal with it more effectively.

Online prescription services offer great convenience to patients, but they also come with risks. What do you do if one of your patients has been taking medication prescribed online that you do not think they require? Dr Marika Davies, senior medicolegal adviser at Medical Protection, explores this issue.

Following new guidance from NHS England, Louisa Waite considers the importance of clear and honest communication when treating a patient who has reached the end of life.

Healthcare professionals do not need to seek Court approval when withdrawing treatment from patients in a permanent vegetative state, following a ruling by the Supreme Court.

Now that the peak holiday season is upon us, GPs may find themselves asked to declare patients “fit to fly”. Dr Rachel Birch, medicolegal adviser at Medical Protection, presents two case scenarios, illustrating what GPs can do to support patients while minimising potential risks.