Mrs F, a 30-year-old housewife, visited her GP, Dr O, with a four-week history of diarrhoea. Dr O arranged a stool sample for microscopy and culture (which was negative) and prescribed codeine. Four months later, Mrs F was still having diarrhoea, especially after meals, and she had started to notice some weight loss. She returned to the surgery and this time saw Dr P, who examined her and found nothing remarkable, but decided to refer her to gastroenterology in view of her persistent symptoms.

Mr E, a 50-year-old accountant, was playing squash with a colleague after work and hurt his left ankle. He couldn’t keep playing but he was able to walk, so he went home. The next day his ankle became quite swollen, so Mr E kept it on ice and took some ibuprofen...

Ms Q, 58 years old, consulted Dr G, a gastroenterologist, with a history of dyspepsia, early satiety and altered bowel habit. Clinical examination, including digital rectal examination, was recorded as normal...

Miss F, an overweight 11-year-old, attended her GP, Dr A, complaining of knee pain and clicking for two months following a twisting injury whilst playing football...

A patient presents with symptoms of haemorrhoids but is it something more sinister?

Mr U, a 29-year-old teacher, was referred to Dr N, a consultant cardiologist, with a history of several episodes of dizziness, perspiration and palpitations. A 24-hour ECG had shown episodes of tachycardia and bradycardia, and second-degree Mobitz type II heart block was demonstrated when symptomatic.

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

A patient presents with a sore wrist after a fall.

A patient’s solicitor sought disclosure of a GMC expert report after a case had been closed. Medical Protection successfully challenged this, only for the decision to be overturned at appeal. Kirsty Sharp, content editor at Medical Protection, looks at the challenges of making a challenge

Mr X, a 25-year-old fit and active man, was reviewed by his GP, Dr A, with a recurrence of lower back pain. He had noticed lumbar back pain intermittently throughout his 20s, but played a lot of sports to which he attributed his symptoms.

Mr H was a senior consultant general and breast surgeon who worked in a district general hospital. He was recognised by his colleagues as an expert in breast surgery and an informal arrangement was put in place to transfer all patients with breast problems to Mr H. This arrangement was endorsed by the hospital clinical director but was not formally agreed...

A patient alleges her GP was negligent for failing to prescribe antibiotics

Child H, a three-year-old boy, was brought into the Emergency Department (ED) of a private hospital by his mother, having inhaled or swallowed a little building brick. They brought a similar piece with them. Child H was seen by a doctor, Dr W, who documented that he appeared well, with no signs of respiratory distress and a normal auscultation. Dr W arranged for him to have a chest x-ray, which both Dr W and a radiologist considered normal.

Three-year-old Matthew was brought to the local A&E department by his mum, Mrs U. She told Dr M, the attending doctor, that Matthew had fallen from a chair three days ago and, although he seemed unharmed at the time, he was now refusing to walk.

Miss G was a 36-year-old medical receptionist who worked in a teaching hospital. She was under the care of a haematologist for chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, diagnosed when she was 13. She had a BMI of 42 and no other relevant past medical history.

Mr B was a 31 year old man with three children. His mother was staying with him over the weekend because he was in bed coughing and shivering.

Patient B, a 70-year-old female, with a history of dementia, stroke and pneumonia, was admitted to the emergency room of a private hospital in a coma. She had advanced lung cancer and was well-known to the physician, Dr Y, who was called to see her.

Patient A, a 57-year-old male, was admitted to the ICU of a private hospital with kidney and liver failure, and in a coma. There was no living will and family members gave a history of long-standing alcohol abuse.

A female patient at a medical centre consulted GP Dr F and was subsequently sent for further treatment at another department within the building.