Take action to help reduce your risk by improving your communication skills and developing techniques to better manage patients' expectations.

Doctors who received training to improve their communication skills report a significantly lower rate of difficult interactions.

Patient dissatisfaction with the decision making process about their treatment options can increase the risk of complaints or claims against a doctor.

One of the most difficult situations faced by any clinician is when you are concerned that a colleague’s behaviour, health or professional performance may be placing patients at risk. This factsheet outlines your duty to raise concerns when patients may be at risk of harm.

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.

Text messaging allows practices to target and contact hundreds of patients within minutes. Patients can respond by text with replies automatically forwarded to a specified email address. Many practices are signing up to using a text messaging service to inform patients of appointments, flu vaccinations, etc.

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.

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.

Doctors play a crucial role in protecting children from abuse and neglect. Surgery consultations, home visits, emergency department admissions and contact with other professionals who work with children help to build up a picture of a child’s situation. This factsheet is designed to help members know how to act and who to contact when they suspect children are at risk of or are experiencing harm.

This workshop will help you to gain a greater understanding of the patient safety culture that exists in your practice, allowing you to identify and target areas for improvement.

Text messaging allows practices to target and contact hundreds of patients within minutes. Patients can respond by text with replies automatically forwarded to a specified email address. Many practices are signing up to using a text messaging service to inform patients of appointments, flu vaccinations etc.

The Clinical Communication Programme (CCP)

A highly intensive interpersonal skills training programme which greatly enhances doctor-patient communication and creates significant behavioural and attitudinal change.

Your repeat prescribing journey

Repeat prescribing is a complex journey that accounts for 75% of prescriptions issued in general practice. With more than 20 steps from the initial decision to prescribe to the patient finally taking the medication, the opportunity for error is great. Therefore, it is no wonder that errors in repeat prescribing frequently occur.

This new workshop will provide you with a thorough understanding of the importance of medical records and aims to enhance your skills in making and keeping quality medical records.