As a doctor, you may be asked to give evidence in many different types of tribunals, including criminal or civil courts, the coroner’s court and employment or mental health tribunals. This factsheet gives further information about what to expect and how to prepare.

In Northern Ireland, unlike England and Wales, out-of-hours (OOH) organisations may expect GPs to carry and use controlled drugs (CDs) from their own stock. This factsheet highlights what you should be aware of when carrying, storing and recording controlled drugs.

As an expert you should be aiming to produce a report which is free standing – from which the reader can glean the key issues in the case, understand the evidence available and reach a clear understanding of the range of expert opinion, without needing to look at any other document.

One incident can be investigated in a number of different ways – as a complaint, a clinical negligence claim, a criminal case, a disciplinary matter by your employer, a Coroner’s inquest or a complaint to the GMC. An important starting point is your written report on the circumstances of the incident. This factsheet gives more information about writing this report.

As an expert you should be aiming to produce a report which is free standing – from which the reader can glean the key issues in the case, understand the evidence available and reach a clear understanding of the range of expert opinion, without needing to look at any other document.

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.

Under the Misuse of Drugs Act (1971) and the Misuse of Drugs Regulations (2001), GPs have a responsibility for controlled drugs (CDs) within their practice. This factsheet highlights what you should be aware of when carrying, storing and recording controlled drugs.

Forty-year-old hairdresser and mother-of-three Mrs T had long-term problems with neck pains and migraines. She had seen her own GP Dr W, and many of the partners in the practice, several times over the years with the same complaint.

The GMC states that “doctors play a crucial role in protecting children from abuse and neglect”. Child maltreatment includes neglect and physical, sexual and emotional abuse. The following frequently asked questions are designed to advise MPS members what to do and who to contact, should they suspect children are at risk of, or are experiencing, harm.

Twenty-eight-year-old Miss T was a pillion passenger on her boyfriend’s motorbike going at high speed on a motorway. He lost control of the vehicle and tried to regain it by braking, which threw them both over the handles, landing some distance away. Unfortunately, Miss T’s boyfriend was certified dead at the scene of the accident.

The following case occurred in the UK in 1983, when it was common practice for patients to contact their GP for antenatal advice rather than their maternity unit.

Mr F was a 46-year-old accountant who lived with his wife and two children. He booked an appointment with his GP, Dr P, in an emergency surgery, the morning after experiencing some chest pain. He had been running for a train on the way back from a meeting.