Not easy subjects for GPs to hear about on a November evening in Surrey. Nevertheless, it was a pleasure to have been able to meet NASGPs at my recent lecture on the medicolegal processes that can arise after an adverse clinical incident, writes Dr Sabira Hughes, Medicolegal Consultant at Medical Protection.
I started my talk by explaining that the only way to guarantee avoiding being involved in any of these processes throughout a 40+ year career in general practice is to not see any patients. General practice is a risky business in the context of the intense pressures that GPs face. Unfortunately, adverse clinical events are inevitable.
What is important is to know how to manage the resulting anxiety when things go wrong and to have a plan to deal with any process that might arise following an adverse incident.