Complacency in asthma care leads to unnecessary deaths
POOR standards of care in the treatment of asthma are leading to unnecessary deaths according to a confidential enquiry from the Royal College of Physicians.
FP 2015 eligibility rules change
MEDICAL graduates applying for eligibility to join the 2015 UK foundation programme must for the first time complete an online application.
Call to “liberalise” referral guidelines for bowel cancer
ONLY half of people diagnosed with bowel cancer present with the "high-risk" symptoms that would qualify for an urgent referral, according to a report from Bowel Cancer UK.
Dentists must make FOI updates
NHS dentists in Scotland must update their publication scheme now to comply with freedom of information laws.
Records - friend or foe?
Consider this scenario – several months after a consultation a patient complains to the GMC that you behaved inappropriately during an examination.
Where do claims occur in primary care?
You may have heard the old adage concerning the analysis of systems data: ”rubbish in, rubbish out”. This means that, no matter how modern and sophisticated your information systems may be, frustration will be the likely outcome if the information it contains is incomplete, inaccurate or inconsistent.
Large claims risk
I was astonished to learn recently that the NHS is facing a £24m payout for one claim.
Reducing risk: when a patient refuses a chaperone
My recent blog on offering chaperones when undertaking intimate examinations sparked some discussion here over cases we have encountered.
Communicating with patients as a new dental VT
This time of year brings all sorts of reminders of growth and change. From the season’s new green shoots and emerging bursts of colour to the approach of term-end with students starting out on their new careers and lives as professionals.
Audit finds failings in hospital care for dying
A MAJOR audit of care provision for patients dying in hospital has found significant variations across England and deficiencies in communication and the availability of palliative services.