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How has doctors’ guidance altered?
Good Medical Practice 2024: what you need to know from a legal viewpoint. Jordan Laybourn and Dr Tania Francis report.
What can we learn from GMC cases?
We can learn a lot from the big GMC cases but there’s much to be usefully gleaned from the ‘run of the mill’ hearings. Dr Tania Francis reports.
Implications of GDC v. Williams judgment for dentists mixing private and NHS treatment
Dentists and dental lawyers have been watching the case of GDC v. Williams with interest, due to the implications for the long-held view that it is not permitted to mix NHS and private treatment by charging patients a private top-up fee in addition to the NHS charge for NHS treatment. The
If that fateful GMC missive appears
What should you do if you get a letter from the GMC? Partner Tania Francis from Hempsons shares ten tips.
One slip gets you in a lot of trouble
We all know that we live in an increasingly regulated world, and particularly so in the healthcare sector. But have you ever thought about just how many sets of regulatory proceedings a doctor may face out of one incident?
If in doubt – declare!
In the case of Dad v GDC, [2021] EWHC 1376 (QB), the Honourable Mrs Justice Collins Rice considered the issue of declarations to the GDC in an application for restoration to the register.
Can denying the allegations against you be held against you?
Interesting decision in the case of Al Nageim v General Medical Council (Admin) this week. Mr Justice Knowles considered the issue of whether a doctor’s denial of allegations which are then found against them should be used against them when deciding whether their fitness to practise is impaired.
A gentler attitude to gripes in pandemic
How will the GMC deal with complaints about your practice during the pandemic? Solicitor and doctor Tania Francis examines the latest guidance.
Foreseeability and causation in clinical negligence cases
This article summarises the law on foreseeability and causation in clinical negligence cases. It focuses on what a claimant needs to prove and the development of the law in these areas.
Clinical negligence: duty and breach
This is the first in a two-part series about clinical negligence, in which we will look at the essential components of a claim. In a nutshell, in order for a successful clinical negligence claim to be made, the claimant must show that the defendant healthcare practitioner/provider:
How to avoid a GMC referral
There is probably nothing anyone can do to entirely eliminate the risk of a GMC referral. Sometimes, it is down to just plain bad luck. It is certainly often nothing to do with your abilities as a doctor, and that’s important to remember if you are unlucky enough to receive the dreaded GMC letter.
Indemnity cover – what you need to know
All doctors and other healthcare professionals should be aware of the need for insurance or indemnity cover, but from time to time I am referred a client who, for one reason or another, doesn’t have cover for a case – be it civil litigation, regulatory (GMC) proceedings or a criminal investigation. This can be a disaster for many reasons.
Revalidation – a trap for the unwary?
All doctors will be aware of the need to revalidate and the GMC’s responsibilities in this regard. Revalidation is the process by which doctors are required to demonstrate that they are up to date and fit to practise. Doctors must revalidate every five years, and in order to do so they must have annual appraisals based on the GMC’s guidance, Good Medical Practice.
Revalidation – a trap for the unwary?
All doctors will be aware of the need to revalidate and the GMC’s responsibilities in this regard. Revalidation is the process by which doctors are required to demonstrate that they are up to date and fit to practise. Doctors must revalidate every five years, and in order to do so they must have annual appraisals based on the GMC’s guidance, Good Medical Practice.