Medical Defence Union's New Scottish Recruits Help Meet Doctors' Demands For Medico-Legal Advice, UK

Main Category: Litigation / Medical Malpractice
Also Included In: Public Health
Article Date: 03 Aug 2009 - 2:00 PDT

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The Medical Defence Union (MDU) has recruited three new medico-legal advisers in Scotland, bringing its team of experts north of the border to nine - its biggest ever team in the country.

The new medico-legal advisers, who are all former practising doctors, will help the MDU meet the increasing demand for its services by doctors with ethical and legal dilemmas about their care of patients.

Dilemmas may range from a hospital consultant who wishes to withdraw treatment from a dying patient to a GP whose 14-year-old patient is asking for the contraceptive pill. The MDU, the UK's leading medical defence organisation, receives 22,000 such calls a year on its 24-hour medico-legal advice line from members throughout the UK. The MDU's new advisers will also help doctors facing a wide range of investigations including GMC hearings and fatal accident inquiries and also advise on day-to-day concerns, such as responding to a patient's complaint. The MDU opens 7,500 files to assist with investigations such as these each year.

Dr Peter Schutte, MDU head of advisory services, said:

"Our role advising and assisting doctors continues to grow apace as the medico-legal environment in which doctors work continues to become more complex. Our new advisers will help us keep abreast of this accelerating pace of change, to ensure our members are provided with a quick, considered and clear view of their professional, ethical and legal obligations - both for the benefit of themselves and their patients."

The three new medico-legal advisers are:

• Dr Christine Bradford originally trained at the University of Glasgow. Christine was a GP principal for eight years. Prior to joining the MDU Christine was a GP locum and a senior medical adviser to life insurance companies. Christine is based in Glasgow.


• Dr Claire Macauly trained in Liverpool. She is based in Glasgow where she was an oncology specialist registrar. Immediately before joining the MDU, Claire completed her doctorate in medicine.


• Dr Sue Shepherd originally trained in Australia. She has been a clinical lecturer in epidemiology and completed speciality training in occupational medicine. Sue is based in Edinburgh where she completed an LLB degree that inspired her medico-legal interest.

The existing MDU Scottish based staff are medico-legal advisers, Dr Catriona James, Dr Yvonne McCombie and Dr Ruth Gibson; head of case decisions, Dr Hugh Stewart; independent telephone contractor Dr Rachel Birch; and clinical complaints adviser Dr David Byford.

Source
Medical Defence Union

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