Advice centre

Sepsis is a serious condition, with significant medicolegal risk. Dr Dawn McGuire, Medicolegal Consultant at Medical Protection, looks at where the risk lies

MPS submission to the Department of Health and Social Care consultation on Fixed recoverable costs in lower value clinical negligence claims

When starting in private practice, how you are structured for tax purposes is an extremely important decision. Picking the most appropriate trading structure for your individual circumstances will ensure you are tax efficient and maximise the return on your hard efforts. This article looks at the more common trade structures adopted for private work.

One of the main factors to consider when you start out in private practice is that you are running a business. It sounds obvious, but with little or no financial training it is easy to fall into the trap of not running your private practice like a business, and this almost always leads to financial loss. The second article in this series looks at the practical steps required to run your private practice as a business.

Not only is it important to be well equipped to deal with the challenges and pitfalls that might arise unexpectedly, but also to be prepared to speak to the press or deal with media enquiries following a patient’s treatment.

Dr Gabrielle Pendlebury, Medicolegal Consultant at Medical Protection, advises on how best to manage a scenario where a patient doesn’t want to know the risks

High profile cases have put the spotlight on the consent process and clinicians are increasingly aware of the risks; however, Medical Protection data shows a number of claims alleging that a clinician failed to explain alternative treatment options. Dr Emma Green, Medicolegal Consultant at Medical Protection, looks at the case law surrounding therapeutic options, GMC guidance on consent, and how these impact on the information provided to patients during the consent process.

Time to refresh yourself on the eight core pillars of person-centred care.