PHOTOS: WALTER NEILSON


02 FYi


• •


Welcome News


NEW CPD GUIDANCE FOR DOCTORS GUIDANCE for doctors on how to plan,


carry out and evaluate their CPD has been published by the General Medical Council ahead of the launch of revalidation.


Welcome to your FYi


MAKING the transition from medical school to foundation training can be a daunting one, but good relationships with nurses and other healthcare staff can make the job a lot easier. FY1 doctor Anne Parfi tt-Rogers looks at the importance of learning to work in a team in her article on page 4. As the annual cost to the NHS


of alcohol abuse soars to £3.5billion, it’s clear that more needs to be done to tackle the problem. But what role can junior doctors play? FYi associate editor Joanne Curran investigates on page 10. Intimate exams can be


distressing for patients and can also leave doctors vulnerable to complaints of inappropriate behaviour. In her article on page 5, MDDUS medical adviser Dr Anthea Martin discusses the value of having a chaperone present, for both doctor and patient. A recent survey found medical students believe doctors should have the right to refuse to perform treatments that confl ict with their


personal beliefs – but what about their professional duty of care? MDDUS medical adviser Mr Des Watson off ers some guidance on page 12. Technology is playing an


increasingly prominent role in patient care and on page 7 Dr Benjamin Visser looks at the pros and cons of medical apps. All doctors should treat patients equally, regardless of their sexuality, but a recent survey found that isn’t always the case. Our article on page 6 takes a closer look at this area of discrimination in care. The specialty of orthopaedics


off ers a complex balance between mechanics and biology – so is it right for you? Find out more in our careers article on page 8. And on page 14, our case study highlights a delayed referral in a patient with a painful swelling.


• Rebekah Skeldon Editor


Continuing professional


development: guidance for all doctors advises doctors to “refl ect on their learning needs” based on the GMC’s core guidance Good Medical Practice. It also encourages practitioners to use information from their CPD within their appraisal as this will be the basis upon which they revalidate. Read the guidance at


www.tinyurl.com/cmmfl f


NEW TRIBUNAL SERVICE LAUNCHED BY GMC


A NEW impartial adjudication function for doctors has been launched by the GMC as part of key fi tness to practise reforms. The Medical Practitioners


Tribunal Service (MPTS) has been heralded by the GMC as the biggest shake-up of fi tness to practise hearings since being fi rst established in 1858. The new service, based in


EDITOR: Dr Rebekah Skeldon


ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Joanne Curran


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CORRESPONDENCE: FYi Editor MDDUS Mackintosh House 120 Blythswood Street Glasgow G2 4EA


t: 0845 270 2034 e:


jcurran@mddus.com w: www.mddus.com


FYi is published by The Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland, Registered in Scotland No 5093 at Mackintosh House, 120 Blythswood Street, Glasgow G2 4EA. The MDDUS is not an insurance company. All the benefi ts of membership of MDDUS are discretionary as set out in the Memorandum and Articles of Association.


Manchester, is part of the GMC but operationally separate from the regulator’s complaint handling, investigation and case presentation and is accountable to Parliament. His Honour David Pearl has been appointed Chair of the MPTS, having held a range of senior judicial roles including the President of the Care Standards Tribunal and Commissioner of the Judicial Appointments Commission. He will be responsible for


appointing, training, appraising and mentoring MPTS panellists and legal assessors. MPTS panels will have the


power, in the most serious cases, to remove or suspend a doctor from the medical register or place restrictions on their practice. The service can also take early action to ensure patient safety by considering cases in advance of a full fi tness to practise hearing, if it is judged appropriate to place


restrictions on a doctor’s practice immediately or suspend their practice while investigations proceed.


Niall Dickson, GMC Chief


Executive, said of the MPTS: “It represents a key part of our reforms and delivers a clear separation between investigations and the decisions made about a doctor’s fi tness to practise.


“Although panels already make their decisions independently, it is important that their autonomy is clear and that the oversight of their work is quite separate from our investigatory activity. We hope that the MPTS will strengthen professional and public confi dence that our hearings are impartial, fair and transparent – the fact that the service is led by a judicial fi gure who has a direct line to Parliament should provide that assurance.” For more information on the


MPTS, all current fi tness to practise cases and recent decisions visit www.mpts-uk.org


Continuing professional


development Guidance for all doctors


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