As a doctor or healthcare professional, your career deserves the best protection against claims of clinical negligence. There are two main types of professional indemnity and the differences can take time to understand. This article helps explain the difference between occurrence-based and claims-made protection.

Dr Lucy Hanington, Medicolegal Consultant at Medical Protection, stresses the importance of having a diverse pool of medical experts to call on.

Nearly half of healthcare professionals in the UK (46%) say their mental health is worse now than it was during the pandemic, and three quarters (75%) feel the Government is not doing enough to help healthcare professionals with mental health issues.

Both legislation and the GMC’s guidance emphasise that doctors should presume that adults have the capacity to consent to or refuse a proposed treatment unless it can be established that they lack that capacity.

Consent is an individualised process based on respect – it is more than a signature on a form, says medicolegal adviser Dr Gordon McDavid

Karen Ellison, Medicolegal Consultant at Medical Protection, talks from their own experience as working as a SAS-grade urogynecologist, about the continued undervaluing of specialty doctors and specialist grade doctors in the medical workforce.

From summer 2022 GP patients in England have been able to have fuller access to their records through the NHS App. Sarah Baggot, Case Manager at Medical Protection, outlines the process and provides practical advice.

What happens when separated parents ask for medical information about their child? Dr Heidi Mounsey, Medicolegal Consultant at Medical Protection, looks at this common query to our advice line.

Julie Baylis, Case Manager at Medical Protection, looks at a dilemma which is becoming an increasingly pressing concern for clinicians in the ever-evolving digital era.

Dr Emma Davies, Medicolegal Consultant at Medical Protection, offers some tips on managing challenging situations with patients.

Dr Heidi Mounsey, Medicolegal Consultant at Medical Protection, looks at the dos and don’ts of social media use by medical professionals.

Dr Dawn McGuire, Medicolegal Consultant at Medical Protection, provides this reminder on how GP indemnity works in England and Wales, following the 2019 introduction of the state-backed scheme.