Data protection breaches trigger stern warnings
Healthcare providers have been issued with stern warnings from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) about the need for tighter data protection policies following two recent lapses. In one case, a medical secretary illegally accessed 156 patient records, while in another, an unauthorised person was able to enter a hospital ward and access personal information of […]...
Features

How do doctors see private practice?
The results of a survey conducted by the MDU and Independent Practitioner Today. What consultants told us about setting...

Prepare to be investigated
The independent practitioner’s experience of the Care Quality Commission can be daunting. Solicitor Paul Ridout relates some experiences he...

The devil is in the detail
Medico-legal reports can be a valuable revenue stream if you manage the billing effectively. Simon Brignall discusses some of the...

When patients say NO
A patient changes their mind and refuses the recommended treatment. Medico-legal experts Dr Lucy Gibberd and Dr Emma Green discuss...

Remember to stay in balance
Balanced portfolios are far from dead. Dr Benjamin Holdsworth on why they remain a valuable protector against inflation. Legend...

Psychiatry claims under the spotlight
Clinical negligence claims pursued against MDU private psychiatrist members are analysed here by Dr Claire Wratten and Lee Lewis, who...

How insurance salesman can help
The Association of Medical Insurers and Intermediaries (amii) was established in 1998 as a trade association for independent medical...

Taking the unfairness out of pension taxation
Recent announcements have been made about the actions doctors will need to take as part of the long talked...

A general practice as they used to be
Harley Street GP Dr Tony Banerjee relates a heart-moving story about the setting up of his new private practice....

Your views on setting up in private practice
MDU survey Independent Practitioner Today is running a survey with the Medical Defence Union to get consultants’ views on...