Altering clinical records – do’s and don’ts
Clinical records should be made contemporaneously - but there are occasions when it's reasonable to alter an existing record
Are you delegating safely?
Clinicians can delegate responsibility for a task but not accountability
Burnout risks patient safety
There is a well-established causal relationship between reduced clinician wellbeing and increased patient safety incidents - and the rise in the incidence and severity of reported burnout is concerning
Adding “violence warning markers” to patient records
It may be tempting to add a warning marker or alert to aggressive patients' records, but MDDUS urges caution
Don't get caught out on indemnity cover
You wouldn't drive a car or go on an expensive holiday without insurance, so it's vital healthcare professionals don't practise without appropriate indemnity cover in place.
Unwanted advances
How would you deal with the difficult situation of a patient making romantic advances? Risk adviser Kay Louise Grant offers advice on maintaining boundaries with patients.
Patients having treatment abroad
A gradual easing of travel restrictions with the fall in serious Covid-19 cases may be welcome news but it does present challenges when patients seek treatment abroad and then present with complications back in the UK.
Recording telephone consultations with patients
Organisations often now record telephone calls to monitor quality control and for training purposes. But do you adequately inform patients of this – and what about data protection?
Redacting sensitive information from health records
Patients in England will soon have digital access to new data entries in their health records, meaning GP practices will have to redact sensitive or potentially harmful details in "real time"
Keep complaint records separate
How organisations go about resolving patient complaints will vary depending on the circumstances - but one often overlooked aspect is documenting such matters.