Advice centre

Nasogastric tubes are widely used in the world’s hospitals, yet in spite of fierce campaigning to expose the dangers, patients are still dying from the complications of wrongful insertion.

Dr Peter Mackenzie, Head of Membership Governance at MPS, looks at the reasons why claims in a range of surgical specialties are settled

Consent is a fundamental principle of medical law. The basic rule is simple: no-one has the right to touch anyone else without lawful excuse and if doctors do so it may well undermine patients’ trust.

Any doctor who specialises in a particular field would be expected to keep up-todate in that area. This would apply to all fields of medicine. Surgeons with a special interest would be expected to keep up-to-date with developments both in the field of general surgery and their area of special interest.

Consultant gastroenterologist Dr Richard Shenderay shares his advice on choosing the right specialty and why he settled on gastroenterology.

Professor Allan Gaw, from the National Institute for Health Research - Clinical Research Network, shares his top ten tips for making effective decisions.

The foundation years can be a shock to the system – being aware of the challenges can help to identify, and prevent, burnout, says Professor Jim Lucey.

Dr Patrice Baptiste shares a challenging case