Dental risk: resolutions and revisions
Ok so we’re well into February now. All those New Year’s resolutions have probably been broken, the exercise DVD chucked in the bin and the attempt at an alcohol-free January just a distant memory. We comfort ourselves in our failure to be fitter, slimmer and healthier by realising that we are only human and despite our best intentions some changes just aren’t sustainable.
When the police come knocking….
Medical practices and hospitals hold vast amounts of personal data. When the police are investigating crime they frequently seek access to medical records to obtain information that could assist their enquiries.
Risk reduction: prioritisation, delegation and communication
Winter is always a busy time for the NHS. However, this year seems to be particularly bad and the public are bombarded with news of over-crowded A&E departments and patients waiting for hours in ambulances and corridors to be seen by a doctor.
Risk reduction: stopping medicines when patients default from review
In a previous blog I illustrated the importance of robust processes that ensure any patient with a condition requiring clinical monitoring is added to practice recall systems, so that an alert is prompted should they fail to attend for review.
GP trainees – asset or risk
Consider this scenario – a patient complains to their GP that their lung cancer diagnosis was delayed. In the subsequent significant event analysis the practice discovers that the trainee doctor involved in their care was unaware of NICE guidelines on early investigation of cancers, including lung cancer.
Reducing risk: young people welcome here!
A recent report published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre highlighted that the number of children (10 –14 year olds) being admitted to hospital in England for self-harm is at a five-year high, with admissions of girls increasing by almost 93 per cent and a rise of 45 per cent in boys.
Confidentiality risks: disclosure without consent
Issues around confidentiality still feature commonly among calls to our advice line and some recent cases have highlighted complexities with regard to sharing patient information with third parties.
Risks associated with serious illnesses in children: introduction to MDDUS roundtable of experts
This month sees the release of the first of two MDDUS roundtable discussions centred on the risks associated with treating seriously ill children. This is a difficult area for doctors, and GPs in particular, as they will see several sick children in a surgery with common childhood illnesses, most of whom have no serious consequences.
Managing risk: health issues in colleagues
Members often use this phrase to introduce a difficult subject and one of the most difficult to broach is that of concerns about a colleague. The GMC has made it clear that doctors have a duty to take steps when they have concerns about a colleague’s fitness to practise.
Medical errors: necessary fallibility!
In my last blog I highlighted the case of a missed lung cancer diagnosis where several GPs in the same practice failed to appreciate the potential seriousness of the presenting symptoms, leading to a delayed diagnosis, and ultimately a hastened death.