A help in times of trouble

After almost eight years as a consultant anaesthetist, Dr Helen Hartley (below) joined defence body Medical Protection as a medico-legal adviser in 2010. Here she describes the work in her changed career.

Dr Helen Hartley

I wanted to have a change of career due to a number of factors – my growing interest in law and  ethics, professionalism, the regulation of medicine and the potential benefit of risk management initiatives on patient safety.

The world of a medico-legal adviser (MLA) is a mystery to the majority of doctors, who probably also hope it stays that way as they aim to avoid the requirement for medico-legal assistance.