Patients overtly coerced into undergoing treatment they do not want can rightly claim that their “consent” was not given freely and is therefore not valid. Cases of overt coercion are rare, but there are circumstances in which patients may feel that they have been covertly pushed into accepting treatment they would prefer not to have had. For example, in some circumstances patients may find it very difficult to say “No” to the proposed treatment, or to challenge the doctor’s assumption that they would have no objections to going ahead.

Whether it’s a revised piece of GMC guidance, or a Bill going through the Scottish Parliament, we use our expertise to inform debates about changes that could affect your practice.

Your eligibility for assistance You must be a member of MPS at the time of the event in order to be entitled to request assistance. The event must not predate the point you joined or rejoined MPS. You must have paid the correct subscription rate and abide by the terms of membership, as laid out in the Memorandum and Articles of Association and associated guidance documents, and it is important to be aware of them. You must inform us if the scope of your practice changes. Withholding information or providing false or misleading answers is likely to adversely affect entitlement to the benefits of membership and, in certain circumstances, membership may be terminated.

Following feedback from you, we are pleased to announce some changes to how we set our GP membership subscriptions.

We understand that there may be unexpected changes in your training structure, which is why we can be flexible with your membership and make allowances to help you.

Members call the Medical Protection advice line about a wide range of issues. Our useful infographic reveals what you have been calling us about, and how often.

In this series we explore the key risk areas in general practice

Dr Michael Rayment and Dr Ann Sullivan, Department of Sexual Health and HIV Medicine, Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust (on behalf of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, and the British HIV Association).

Dr Hajra Siraj, GP registrar in London, shares a tricky case around assessing the competence of young people.

Choosing a career in general practice can be both rewarding and challenging. We understand that sometimes General Practice can be a daunting environment for a new trainee, not accustomed to the independent working and the pressure of being that first port of call and diagnosis for patients entering the health service.

Try these sample AKT questions provided by Dr Mahibur Rahman from Emedica

Try these sample AKT questions provided by Dr Mahibur Rahman from Emedica

Try these sample AKT questions provided by Dr Mahibur Rahman from Emedica

MPS has seen a steady rise in the number of claims involving practice nurses, with ‘delay in diagnosis’ being the most common type of claim. Kate Taylor, Clinical Risk Manager, MPS Educational Services, reveals more

If you are a Practice Xtra member with gold level benefits, you can subscribe to Croner-i Professional Practice Manager online information service, an essential time-saving resource for busy practice managers.

Medical Protection provides expert support, advice and defence at every step of your career – supported locally by a dedicated team based in our Edinburgh office.

The GMC has begun revalidating all doctors – here’s what you need to know

Dr Neil Bacon, founder of www.iwantgreatcare.org, discusses how to maximise the potential of patient feedback.

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.

Over half of respondents to an MPS survey admitted to regret over their failure to raise concerns in the workplace. Gareth Gillespie looks at how obstacles to whistleblowing can be overcome.