Medico-legal issues
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Medico-legal issuesCovert medication: decisions must follow the law and NICE guidance
Dr Maria Dyban offers an overview of the law on covert medication and suggests some practical steps for considering the issues
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Medico-legal issues
Confidentiality guidance covers a wide range of scenarios
Dr Maria Dyban visits some important aspects of GMC 2017 confidentiality guidance and highlights resources available to help with both familiar and challenging situations
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Medico-legal issues
All healthcare staff have a duty of confidentiality
Dr Maria Dyban summarises guidance on patient confidentiality and explores situations where information may or may not be shared
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Medico-legal issues
Patients who may lack capacity need careful assessment
Dr Maria Dyban summarises important aspects of law and guidance for practitioners regarding patients who may be unable or less able to consent to treatment
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Medico-legal issues
Valid consent protects the practitioner as well as the patient
Dr Maria Dyban explores case law and guidance on patient consent and explains how the patient has the right to accept or refuse treatment
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Medico-legal issues
GPs need to advise patients on options for future incapacity
Dr Maria Dyban explores the choices open to patients who want to make provisions for future incapacity, and the clinician’s role in guiding them through the options
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Medico-legal issues
Professionalism is an integral part of a doctor's role
Dr Gerard Panting discusses the six domains within professionalism, and emphasises the importance of setting and maintaining boundaries with patients
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Medico-legal issues
Receipt, supply, and storage of controlled drugs must be recorded
Dr Gerard Panting discusses the importance of the safe management and use of controlled drugs, and the functions and responsibilities of accountable officers
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Medico-legal issues
Are your local Patient Group Directions appropriate and legal?
Angela Bussey (left) and Theresa Rutter discuss the use of PGDs, highlight key points for primary care, and list useful online resources and toolkits
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Medico-legal issues
What happens when a breach of the duty of care results in death?
Dr Gerard Panting discusses how the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act applies to healthcare, and the possible outcomes from an offence
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Medico-legal issues
Clear communication can help to avoid and mitigate complaints
Dr Gerard Panting discusses the impact on healthcare professionals of patient grievances, how to avoid them happening, and how to cope with the outcomes
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Medico-legal issues
Disability Discrimination Act: what does it mean for primary care?
Dr Gerard Panting discusses the impact of current legislation on recruitment and working conditions and its relevance for the NHS and employers in primary care
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Medico-legal issues
Medical information on practice websites must be factual and verifiable
Websites need to be regularly updated so that users are not misled or misinformed, and patient confidentiality must be maintained at all times, says Dr Gerard Panting
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Medico-legal issues
Which visitors from abroad are entitled to free NHS treatment?
Dr Gerard Panting explains rules on eligibility for free primary care for people who are ‘ordinarily resident’ in the UK and others visiting from Europe and elsewhere
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Medico-legal issues
Patient confidentiality and the GP's duties on information disclosure
Dr Gerard Panting discusses the statutory and ethical case on revealing confidential patient information: when to obtain consent, and when there is an obligation to release details
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Medico-legal issues
Three main areas of change to the 1983 Mental Health Act
The new Mental Health Bill redefines mental disorder, changes the test for long-term admissions, and introduces supervision in the community, says Dr Gerard Panting
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Medico-legal issues
The GMC and medical regulation: the next round of reforms
Dr Gerard Panting assesses proposals for safeguarding patients by revalidation of GPs, changes in performance monitoring, and improvements to complaints procedures
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Medico-legal issues
Medical experts in the dock: expectations of and advice for witnesses
Key required attributes and the lack of expert evidence are identified by the recent proposals from the Chief Medical Officer and Department of Health, says Dr Gerard Panting
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Medico-legal issues
How do courts deal with the intentional transmission of HIV?
Dr Gerard Panting discusses court cases featuring the intentional and reckless transmission of the AIDS virus, and the GP's role in the prosecution process
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Medico-legal issues
Partnerships are highlighted in updated Good Medical Practice
Dr Gerard Panting comments on the latest edition of Good Medical Practice and points out how healthcare professionals can modify their practice accordingly
