TRAINING COURSE HELPS ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEONS DEAL WITH THE LAW

[THE BRITISH ORTHOPAEDIC ASSOCIATION has taken the legal bull by the horns and is running a training module for its members and other orthopaedic surgeons on Law for Orthopaedic Surgeons – Avoiding Jeopardy

The course is aimed at consultants, SAS doctors and orthopaedic trainees who wish to gain knowledge of the elements of law which underpin various aspects of contemporary surgical practice.

The course provides broad coverage of the interface between the law and the practice of orthopaedic surgery. It is specifically designed to highlight potential pitfalls in practice from the medico-legal perspective and to help steer surgeons away from potential jeopardy.

It includes:

• Practical advice on how to approach giving evidence in legal

• proceedings such as a coroner's court

• Advice on practical measures to avoid jeopardy with employers,

• the courts and the regulator

• A full delivery day of case-based discussion talks with Q&A,

• including a mock coroner's inquest

• Pre-recorded material to be watched in advance, which will be

• available six weeks prior to the course delivery day

The faculty delivering the course comprises experienced consultants in surgical specialties, all with extensive knowledge of the law relating to surgery, as well as practising barristers, coroners, assistant coroners and a representative from the Medical Protection Society.

The topics covered are of surgical relevance and include consent, gross negligence manslaughter, the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service and the GMC, blood transfusion refusal, introduction to coronial law and the coroner’s court, confidentiality and data protection, clinical negligence and the pitfalls of social media. q average of zero lists per week. Day-case trauma accounted for nearly one third (29.1%) of overall trauma burden, but only six hospitals had access to a daily day-case trauma list. That placed a heavy reliance on general trauma lists to manage inpatient and outpatient caseload. Furthermore, the day-case trauma patient was identified as disadvantaged as they typically waited longer for surgery and had higher cancellation rates compared to inpatients while still causing more disruption to scheduled elective operating.

There is, the researchers found, a common message in the two papers: the need for interconnectivity – whether it be an equitable distribution of general trauma between neighbouring trusts or regional collaborative effort at creating a hub-and-spoke model of dedicated day-case trauma centres and pooled day-case patients. More than ever, greater co-operation within the trauma community is needed to address the ever-expanding trauma burden. q