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Learn Not Blame

Jenny Vaughan for the BMJ: Medical manslaughter — will the findings of an independent review be a tipping point for change?

The General Medical Council (GMC) has just published the 29 final recommendations of the long-awaited reviewinto how gross negligence manslaughter and culpable homicide are applied to medical practice. This was an independent review chaired by consultant cardiac surgeon, Leslie Hamilton, and undertaken after widespread criticism of the GMC’s handling of the case of Hadiza Bawa-Garba. The Doctor’s Association UK, among many other organisations, has been calling for a truly “Just Culture” to be adopted by the NHS for staff and patients alike as part of its Learn Not Blame campaign, and broadly welcomes the report.

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June 6, 2019
Learn Not Blame

DAUK in the Evening Standard: DAUK calls on the GMC to issue clear guidance to protect both doctors and patients

A GP has been referred to the GMC for asking a Muslim women to lift her veil during a consultation. The Doctors’ Association UK, who have obtained a copy of the fitness to practise referral, are now calling on the GMC to issue urgent guidelines to help protect both doctors and patients.

Currently, there is plentiful guidance for doctors and NHS staff who wear religious garments, and when patients can ask a treating clinician to remove them. However, no such guidance exists for the opposite situation.

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May 29, 2019
Compassionate Culture

DAUK in the BMJ on extra funding for rest facilities for doctors

Following the annoucement that Trusts in England will receive an extra £30-60K for improving rest facilities for doctors, DAUK was asked to comment with ideas on how the money could be best spent.

Our Chair, Dr Samantha Batt-Rawden said in the BMJ:

“Don’t forget doctors who cannot get to the mess. Satellite rest hubs could be considered for areas such as labour ward, neonatal, paediatric, and adult intensive care units, and emergency departments, where doctors may not be able to get away. Providing expressing facilities for breastfeeding mothers is an important but often neglected consideration. None of this is revolutionary, but getting the basics is important if we are to start treating doctors as human beings, not just numbers on the rota.”

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May 29, 2019
Compassionate Culture / Learn Not Blame

DAUK attends House of Lords for roundtable on bullying and harassment in the NHS

The Doctors’ Association UK attended a roundtable meeting at the House of Lords this morning to address the growing concerns about bullying and harassment in the NHS. The meeting was organised by the General Medical Council (GMC), hosted by Dr Philippa Whitford MP and was attended by key stakeholders including Royal Colleges, NHS Employers, NHS Improvement, the BMA, MPs and Peers. Our members were represented by our Chair Dr Samantha Batt-Rawden, Vice-Chair Dr Rinesh Parmar who is leading our work on NHS bullying and undermining and our Law and Policy Lead Dr Jenny Vaughan. This meeting brought together various streams of our work including #NHSMeToo, #CompassionateCulture and #LearnNotBlame.

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May 7, 2019