The Care.data programme that was due to be rolled out in 2014 was delayed following criticism of the way the information campaign supporting it was implemented.

The law on informed consent has changed following a Supreme Court judgment.

The CQC is the regulator for health and social care in England. It monitors, inspects and regulates general practices to make sure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety.

You can get direct assistance from Medical Protection by requesting a Clinical Risk Self Assessment (CRSA), which is a systematic approach that identifies risk and develops practical solutions, as one of the benefits of membership. Our experience has been that a CRSA is invaluable in assisting practices in preparing for their CQC inspection and also post-CQC inspection, to assist with issues raised by the CQC inspector.

The CQC wants to define what good quality care looks like in order to be able to effectively inspect and rate practices.

An information portal can simplify the storing, sharing and management of local information held by your practice and is an important device for reducing risk. We’ve teamed up with the National Association of Sessional GPs (NASGP) to help you find a simple and effective solution.

Endurance athlete and GP Dr Andrew Murray reflects on working in Mongolia and why he decided to run from Scotland to the Sahara

In this issue we share a case where a locum GP raised concerns about patient safety in a practice he had worked at for three months

Dr Euan Lawson, a locum GP from Cumbria, explains why every GP, including locums, should have an open door when not consulting.

Watch our introductory video for the Striking a Balance campaign which MPS are leading to counter the rising costs of clinical indemnity claims.

With the General Election now past, the Government needs to act swiftly and decisively to protect GPs from its decision to reduce the personal injury discount rate - a decision which has substantially pushed up the cost of settling large clinical negligence claims.

A tailored package of advice and support means newly qualified GPs can get more protection from the outset of their careers, the Medical Protection Society has announced today.

The GMC has revised its Confidentiality guidance for all doctors practising in the UK

Vanessa Perrott, Medical Protection’s Head of Education Development and Delivery, examines how complaints can be used as a learning tool

The importance of lifelong learning in medicine is well-recognised. Dr Vanessa Perrott, Head of Education and Delivery, and Dr Karen Ellison, Medicolegal Adviser, discuss reflective practice as part of this process

We are extremely disappointed and concerned by the decision to reduce the Personal Injury Discount Rate so significantly. This decision will increase the cost of settling future loss claims against our members at a time when the cost of clinical negligence is already at a worryingly high level.