The Commission safeguards the interests of people with mental illness and learning disabilities, and earlier this year issued detailed guidance on the administration of covert medicine. Here Lynn McBean, communications manager, describes the work of the organisation.

Text messaging allows practices to target and contact hundreds of patients within minutes. Patients can respond by text with replies automatically forwarded to a specified email address. Many practices are signing up to using a text messaging service to inform patients of appointments, flu vaccinations etc.

Access to NHS care for migrants and visitors will change as a result of the Immigration Act 2014. MPS senior medicolegal adviser Dr Bryony Hooper outlines the current position and likely changes.

Sir Robert Francis QC is heading up an independent review into creating the open and honest reporting culture in the NHS.

Medicolegal adviser and MPS spokesperson, Dr Pallavi Bradshaw, outlines the various tactics employed by the press and what to do if you become involved in a media story.

The Clinical Communication Programme (CCP)

A highly intensive interpersonal skills training programme which greatly enhances doctor-patient communication and creates significant behavioural and attitudinal change.

Your repeat prescribing journey

Repeat prescribing is a complex journey that accounts for 75% of prescriptions issued in general practice. With more than 20 steps from the initial decision to prescribe to the patient finally taking the medication, the opportunity for error is great. Therefore, it is no wonder that errors in repeat prescribing frequently occur.

The care.data programme has been subject to intense media coverage and scrutiny. GMC Chairman Professor Sir Peter Rubin looks at what doctors can disclose and in what circumstances.

Professionalism can be hard to define and even harder to teach. Dr Mark Dinwoodie, Head of Member Education at MPS, highlights some practical tips to encourage professionalism in trainees.

Kate Taylor, MPS Clinical Risk Manager, explores the implications for nurses of technology in general practice

It has come to the attention of our practice that a long-standing member of our reception staff team is registered as a patient at our practice. We had a management meeting about this and the partners feel uncomfortable about the arrangement. Please can you advise on how we should manage this situation – should we remove her from the practice list?

Nurse and CQC inspection adviser Elaine Biscoe says that more training is needed for nurses as their responsibilities expand at a rapid rate.

As summer approaches GPs will experience increasing requests for declarations that patients are “fit to fly”. Sessional GP and medicolegal consultant Dr Rachel Birch presents three case scenarios advising what you can do to support patients while minimising your risks.

In his follow-up to last edition’s article on high reliability organisations, Dr Dan Cohen revisits a personal experience that formed part of his own steep learning curve.