Advice centre

A clinical negligence claim is a demand for financial compensation for alleged harm caused by substandard clinical care. Common reasons for claims include failure or delay in diagnosis, or incorrect treatment. In fact, many claims arise out of poor communication.

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) has been a criminal offence in the UK since 1985 and the legislation was re-enacted in the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003. Five official reports on the subject have been published since November 2013 and MPS has produced this guidance for members.

The Immigration Act 2014 and recently updated regulations on charging overseas visitors for NHS care have led to changes in the way overseas visitors and migrants are charged for NHS care. Although mainly an administrative issue, there are key points that need to be understood by clinicians to ensure that patients are treated appropriately and their information is safeguarded.

Doctors may, on occasion, receive a request from a patient’s employer for a medical report to be delivered directly to the HR department, without the patient seeing it. However, before any medical report can be provided, you must be satisfied that the patient has given valid consent to the release of the information. This factsheet looks at the issues surrounding medical reports for employers and other organisations, and offers advice to doctors who are asked to write reports.

The GMC states that “Whether or not you have vulnerable children or young people as patients, you should consider their needs and welfare and offer them help if you think their rights have been abused or denied.” Surgery consultations, home visits, accident and emergency admissions and contact with other professionals who work with children help to build up a picture of a child’s situation.