Prying into patient data
A SPATE of recent cases prompts a reminder of the potentially serious consequences of prying into patients’ medical records without a legitimate reason.
Addressing unsafe rotas
PATIENT safety can be affected by your presence as well as your absence. Liz Price offers advice on raising concerns over potentially unsafe rotas.
Keeping safeguarding records safe
SAFEGUARDING potentially vulnerable children can pose particular challenges to doctors and dentists - and the processing and storage of records and case conference reports is a frequent issue.
Gift or abuse of trust?
IT'S a common dilemma for many clinicians – when are "tokens of gratitude" more than just that and is it ever really okay to accept a gift from a patient?
Caught in the media spotlight
Dealing with the press can be stressful for anybody – but for doctors and other healthcare professionals it can be particularly tricky
Can reflective practice be “incriminating”?
Reflective practice is a common tool for maintaining good practice – but many healthcare professionals have raised concerns that taking part in these formal procedures might "incriminate" them should a complaint or claim arise.
Protecting electronic patient data
DATA extraction software for patient records can speed up information requests both for insurance companies and under-pressure GPs - but practices need to ensure essential data protection standards are met.
"Difficult" patients... or colleagues
DIFFICULT relationships in a practice can lead to all sorts of headaches – and pose risks to patient safety.
Off the register
A lapsed professional registration is not worth the trouble to you or your staff.
Preparing for a day in court
COURT appearances – be it for an inquest or giving evidence at trial – are commonplace and involve doctors on a regular basis. A few basic tips can help reduce any anxiety.