Rocky said:
Re: Good Samaritans
>Did you all see the latest BMJ in which there was a short article about two
>doctors who wittnessed a young woman collapsing at the end of a half
marathon?
>They tried to help but she died. At the inquest they were given the third
>degree (the piece implies this was in an aggressive manner) by a solicitor
>acting for her family and there was a suggestion, I thought, that they were
>worried about possibly being sued. Anyway they seemed to be saying they
felt
>vulnerable and that the process was not pleasant.
>What do you think about this? Is is going too far to say that the
government
>should be defining where doctors may or may not work and that people should
>not expect doctors to assist in such circumstances any more. OR should
there
>be legislation stating that a healthcare professional who gives such aid
may
>not be sued if the patient has an unsatisfactory outcome?
>
>Slainte
>Rocky
This is surely going to be our medical life in the future. Anything we do in
public will be subject to scrutiny, and probably peer review - this is the
basis of clinical governance.
Having said that, we should not be afraid of this. If you are suitably
qualified for what you are doing, do not work out side the envelope of your
training and qualifications, do the best that you are able, record
faithfully what you do, then you have nothing to fear.
If you start doing procedures for which you do not have forma
qualifications, or if you cannot prove what you have done, then the law is
liable to come down heavily, and rightly so IMHO.
Tom Moore
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