A new duty of candour for all health, care and social work services comes into effect in Scotland on 1 April 2018. It places an expectation on organisations to be open, honest and supportive when there is an unexpected or unintended incident resulting in death or harm.

The Government is surveying GP professionals in England to gain a clearer understanding of their needs ahead of the new state-backed scheme.

UPDATE: Eight months after the UK Government announced its intention to provide state-backed indemnity for GPs in England, we look at what we know about the planned scheme.

Prescribers are responsible for all prescriptions they sign, including repeat prescriptions. Here Julie Price, head of risk management and education consultancy at Medical Protection, identifies the risks associated with nurse prescribers.

New data protection rules are coming into force on 25 May. Dr Rachel Birch, medicolegal adviser at Medical Protection, looks at two key areas that are changing.

The Olympic, Paralympic, and Commonwealth Games are major events in the world’s sporting and cultural calendar. Almost inevitably, a number of Medical Protection members may be attending the Games.

A new study has highlighted the ongoing problem of medication errors in the NHS. Dr Pallavi Bradshaw, senior medicolegal adviser at Medical Protection, says that clinicians are only human – and help is at hand

Dr Rachel Birch, Medical Protection medicolegal adviser and Practice Matters editor-in-chief, answers some recent queries on cosmetic injections and vaccination errors.

Dr Rachel Birch, medicolegal adviser at Medical Protection, shares a recent case on documenting a patient’s aggressive behaviour in his medical record.

The role of non-clinical staff in modern general practice is expanding. Julie Price, head of risk management and education consultancy at Medical Protection, looks at the risks of such staff managing correspondence

Dealing with staff absence can be a complex and time-consuming task for busy practices. Here employment law specialists Croner Consulting offer advice and guidance.

Patient expectations over the prescribing of antibiotics can pose a real challenge to GPs. Dr Marika Davies, senior medicolegal adviser at Medical Protection, outlines how your communication skills can rise to the fore.