CONTENTS
IN THIS ISSUE AROUND 1870 when the surgeon Joseph Lister performed an operation he was said to have often worn a blue frock- coat “stiff and glazed with blood” from the dissecting room. These were days when it was still widely believed that “miasma” or impure air was responsible for wound infections. And yet Lister had already begun to overturn such notions. In 1865 he had begun experimenting with dressings soaked
in carbolic acid to prevent sepsis in the treatment of compound fractures. It was the start of a medical revolution that is still reverberating today 100 years after his death. “The contribution of Joseph Lister to surgery is quite
comparable in importance to the invention of radio or the internal combustion engine,” says Dugald Gardner, a professor of histopathology and emeritus conservator of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. On page 12 Adam Campbell celebrates the man and his legacy and explains how the
Adam Campbell explores the life and legacy of the great surgical innovator Joseph Lister a century after his death
12 14 12
CLINICAL RISK REDUCTION
Brain tumours – Professor Paul Marks highlights some of the difficulties that can arise when managing patients with intracranial tumours
16 16
ON THE LINE Summons editor Jim Killgore
talks to Dr Barry Parker about his role as an in-house medical adviser at MDDUS
Editor:
Jim Killgore Associate editor: Joanne Curran
Cover image: North Rona, by Alan Watson. 1992. Medium: acrylic on canvas. Size: 165 x 165cm. Art in Healthcare
(formerly Paintings in
Hospitals Scotland) works with hospitals and healthcare communities across Scotland to encourage patients, visitors and staff to enjoy and engage with the visual arts. For more information visit
www.artinhealthcare.org.uk, Scottish Charity No: SC 036222.
WINTER 2012
Editorial departments: MEDICAL Dr Gail Gilmartin DENTAL Mr Aubrey Craig LEGAL Simon Dinnick RISK Peter Johnson
surgical community will be marking the Lister centenary. Have you ever wondered what the working day is like for a
medical or dental adviser at MDDUS? On page 16 we kick off a series of profiles featuring the professionals whose job it is to provide advice and legal support to MDDUS members. First off is Dr Barry Parker who works in our Glasgow office as a medical adviser – a highly specialised role combining clinical experience with legal and ethical expertise. Shareen Larmour of the GDC discusses the latest
developments in the regulation of tooth whitening on page 18 and on page 14 Professor Paul Marks offers best practice advice in dealing with suspected intracranial tumours. Our regular Q&A on page 10 provides some insight on the workings of the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network or SIGN – featuring both the chair and director.
Jim Killgore, editor
CELEBRATING A SURGICAL LEGACY
18
WHITER THAN WHITE Head of illegal practice
prosecutions at the General Dental Council, Shareen Larmour, discusses the latest developments in the regulation of tooth whitening
REGULARS 4 Notice Board 6 News Digest 8 Law At Work: It was just banter! 9 Ethics: Treat on need not eligibility 10 Q&A: Dr Keith Brown and Dr Sara Twaddle of SIGN 20 Case studies: Lost and found, Hard to swallow, Crossing the line 22 Addenda: Carbolic acid spray, An explanation “hardly satisfactory”, Crossword and Vignette: Professor John James Rickard Macleod
Please address correspondence to:
SummonsEditor MDDUS Mackintosh House 120 Blythswood Street Glasgow G2 4EA
jkillgore@mddus.com
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Summonsis published quarterly by The Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland, registered in Scotland No 5093 at Mackintosh House, 120 Blythswood Street, Glasgow G2 4EA. • Tel: 0845 270 2034 • Fax: 0141 228 1208
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www.mddus.com The MDDUS is not an insurance company. All the benefits of membership of MDDUS are discretionary as set out in the Memorandum and Articles of Association. The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors in Summons are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of The Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland.
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