Advice centre

If a death occurs in a violent or unnatural manner, in custody, or suddenly but without certain cause, a coroner has a duty to enquire into the death. This factsheet sets out the role of a coroner, the reporting process and what will happen once you have reported a death to the coroner.

You owe a duty of confidentiality to all your patients, past or present, even if they are adults who lack capacity. You may be asked to provide information from the medical records of patients who are incapable of giving consent, are aged under 18, or have died. This factsheet gives you further information about dealing with these circumstances.

A clinical negligence claim is a demand for financial compensation for alleged harm caused by substandard clinical care. Common reasons for claims include failure or delay in diagnosis, or incorrect treatment. In fact, many claims arise out of poor communication.

Needlestick injuries can be classified as any piercing wound caused by a hypodermic needle, or by other sharp instruments or objects such as scalpels, mounted needles, broken glassware, etc. This factsheet sets out the main concerns for healthcare professionals and what to do when needlestick injuries happen.

Providing access to medical records is essentially a confidentiality issue; therefore, the starting point is whether or not the patient has consented to disclosure. If not, access should be denied, unless there is some other clear justification for allowing access.

The Mental Capacity Act (the Act) established the Court of Protection, whose role it is to protect individuals who lack capacity and make rulings on difficult decisions about their care and welfare. This factsheet gives you more information about the role of the Court of Protection.

Medication errors account for approximately 20% of all clinical negligence claims against doctors in both primary and secondary care. The costs associated with adverse events and inappropriate prescribing have been estimated at more than £750 million per year. This factsheet gives advice about avoiding prescribing errors.

Fit note is an informal name for the Statement of Fitness for Work. The Statement intends to advise patients who are on sick leave for more than seven days on whether, with extra support from their employer, they could return to work.