Case studies

Wine glass
A near miss

6 May 2021

A stressed and anxious foundation doctor was increasingly resorting to several glasses of wine to help her unwind and get to sleep after shifts, although she’d noticed this was starting to affect her performance.

Communication
The perils of poor communication

29 April 2021

A foundation doctor was asked to clerk a male patient who had been referred to the emergency department by his GP. The GP suspected cauda equina syndrome after the patient complained of severe back pain, numbness in his legs and difficulty passing urine.

Litigation Privilege
Litigation privilege

16 October 2020

A consultant radiologist member called the MDU advice line to discuss a recent opinion he had been asked to provide for a patient's solicitor in the context of a clinical negligence claim.

Doctor writing report
Post mortem declined

9 October 2020

Can a patient request not to have a post mortem?

Leaflet from doctor
Conflicting opinion

9 October 2020

A patient who suffered a detached retina claimed he had not been warned that this was a risk of cataract surgery, an allegation denied by the MDU member.

allegations of abuse
Complaint from patient's partner over allegations of abuse

5 October 2020

A patient visited her GP, extremely anxious about a forthcoming family court appearance that she was unwilling to attend.

Raising concerns about a colleague
Raising concerns about a colleague

21 September 2020

After seeing a colleague drinking heavily before returning to work, a trainee called the MDU for advice on whether they should raise a concern over risks to patient safety.

Accidental disclosure of patient information
Accidental disclosure of patient information

4 September 2020

A GP received a complaint from a patient who'd instructed a solicitor to investigate a possible claim against their employer, following a work related injury.

Storing digital images in medical records
Storing digital images in medical records

25 August 2020

A GP member was due to have a remote consultation because of the coronavirus outbreak, and needed the MDU's advice with questions surrounding confidentiality and data protection.

Coroners case
Coroner's case

28 July 2020

A GP was called to a coroner's inquest but was not identified as an 'interested person', and called the MDU for advice.