Why are medicolegal issues important?

A private neurosurgeon faces questions on consent, following a lumbar microdiscectomy sciatica and back pain.

A patient undergoing a colonoscopy claims her modesty is disregarded during the procedure. What did Medical Protection do to tackle this allegation?

Ophthalmologist Dr P receives a claim alleging poor consent and technique – but is that the real cause?

Dr Rachel Birch, medicolegal consultant and editor-in-chief of Practice Matters, shares a recent case where a member sought advice regarding consent for childhood immunisation.

Is the patient’s son entitled to access his mother’s confidential information? Where a patient lacks capacity clinicians should consider what action is in the patient’s best interests.

Gross negligence manslaughter is a topical issue in healthcare, but cases against doctors are still comparatively rare. Dr John Jolly, head of member risk education and Dr Richard Stacey, head of policy and technical, look at a more common cause of criminal cases brought against members of Medical Protection: sexual assault.

Dr James Thorpe, Editor-in-Chief of New Doctor, reports on the evolving legislation surrounding organ transplantation

Top ten tips to assist foundation doctors when consenting a patient for a procedure

Mrs B was a 57-year-old lady with a past history of breast cancer treated with mastectomy and adjuvant therapy. She re-presented to her consultant breast surgeon, Mr F, three years after the original surgery with a worrying 2cm lump in the vicinity of her mastectomy scar.

Mrs S was a 36-year-old patient diagnosed with a benign giant cell tumour of the sacrum. She was seen by Mr A, consultant in orthopaedic oncology, and listed for resection of the lesion.

A private neurosurgeon faces questions on consent, following a lumbar microdiscectomy sciatica and back pain

Dr James Thorpe, Medicolegal Adviser at Medical Protection, reflects on a common issue where junior doctors are asked to perform roles outside their competence, in particular taking informed consent for surgical procedures and other invasive investigations

Dr Hajra Siraj, GP registrar in London, shares a tricky case around assessing the competence of young people.

Respect for patients’ autonomy is expressed in consent law; to impose care or treatment on people without respecting their wishes and right to self-determination is not only unethical, but illegal. The approach to consent in Northern Ireland is currently governed by common law.

Doctors may, on occasion, receive a request from a patient’s employer, an insurer or from a government department, for a medical report to be delivered directly to the relevant department, without the patient seeing it.

There is a certain ambiguity surrounding chaperones and what exactly their purpose is. Below are common questions that Medical Protection receives about chaperones.

Making and using audio and visual recordings of patients can benefit medical training, research and treatment. However, it poses risks for doctors regarding consent and confidentiality.