CONTENTS


IN THIS ISSUE BRITISH mountaineer Myles Osborne was one of four climbers making a summit attempt of Mount Everest on 26 May 2006. That morning at 8:53 the team came upon a surprising scene. Wrote Osborne: “Sitting to our left, about two feet from a 10,000 foot


drop, was a man. Not dead, not sleeping, but sitting cross legged, in the process of changing his shirt. He had his down suit unzipped to the waist, his arms out of the sleeves, was wearing no hat, no gloves, no sunglasses, had no oxygen mask, regulator, ice axe, oxygen, no sleeping bag, no mattress, no food nor water bottle. ‘I imagine you're surprised to see me here’, he said.” The man was an Australian climber named Lincoln Hall, who the day before had summited Everest but on descent had collapsed from suspected cerebral oedema. Two Sherpas had tried to help Hall to safety but had no choice but to leave him on the high slope. Amazingly, Hall managed to survive the


Alan MacDermid looks at the enduring ill-effects of asbestos on UK health


12 14


Third in a series on MDDUS professionals – Jim Killgore talks to James Doake about his work supporting members facing clinical negligence claims


14


Dr Nicola Alcorn offer advice on avoiding the potentially devastating consequences of giant cell arteritis


16 16


Cover image: Reflections by Elizabeth Reid 1988. Medium: oil on board.


Editor:


Jim Killgore Associate editor: Joanne Curran


Editorial departments: MEDICAL Dr Gail Gilmartin DENTAL Mr Aubrey Craig LEGAL Simon Dinnick RISK Peter Johnson


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.


SUMMER 2012


CLINICAL RISK REDUCTION Dr Rajan Madhok and


SUPPORT AT THE SHARP END


night and was rescued the next day. Sadly ironic, Hall died recently not pursuing another wild


adventure but from mesothelioma attributed to a period in his boyhood building dens with his father using asbestos sheeting. On page 12, Alan MacDermind looks at the enduring health impact of asbestos exposure – and the threat still posed by the material today. Also in this issue Joanne Curran looks at new GDC


requirements regarding dental advertising (p. 18) and we feature an interview with Dean Marshall of the BMA Scotland on the challenges facing the diverging UK health systems. Our regular clinical risk article on page 16 highlights the need for vigilance in potential cases of giant cell arteritis. And on page 9 Deborah Bowman bids a sad farewell to Dr


Gregory House MD – the maverick American TV doctor who amazingly used to be Hugh Laurie.


Jim Killgore, editor


ASBESTOS – STILL PAYING THE COST


18


SENDING THE RIGHT MESSAGE


Joanne Curran explores new GDC guidance on dental advertising


REGULARS 4 Notice Board 6 News Digest 8 Employment law: Olympic fever 9 Ethics: House has left the building 10 Q&A: Dr Dean Marshall 20 Case studies: Was that UL5 or…, A dangerous dose, Cryotherapy risks 22Addenda: Waterloo teeth, A man of ordinary skill, Crossword and Vignette: Sir Ludwig Guttmann, neurologist and founder of the Paralympic Games


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


Email: General: info@mddus.com • Membership services: membership@mddus.com • Marketing: marketing@mddus.com • Website: 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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