MDU journal: 2026, issue 1

Being a victim of stalking can impact a person’s psychological, professional and social functioning, and for medical professionals, assumptions about resilience or seniority can make it harder to be believed or supported.

Even brief episodes of stalking can have a major impact. There is a 5% to 10% risk per year of being stalked by a patient or a patient’s relative, and a 20% risk over the course of an entire career.

In the latest issue of the MDU journal, we interview a long-standing MDU member on their experience of being stalked by someone who wasn't a patient – for 15 years. It is their hope others will recognise the signs earlier and be able to offer practical advice from sources such as The Susie Lamplugh Trust.

Read the full story here.

Also in this issue:

• Subject access requests and data shared with defence organisations - Unsure what do to with a subject access request, or have doubts about how to approach a disclosure request? Joanne Brooks explains what to disclose - and what to redact.
• Considering anxiety as a factor in patient complaints - Bansari Patel explores the influence of anxiety on complaints - inspired by Dr Jess Duckworth’s research into music's ability to reduce its impact.
• The UK's clinical negligence bill doesn't add up - Clinical negligence claims cost the NHS more than £350,000 an hour. Dr Matthew Lee says that the government must get a grip on this crisis if it wants to maximise resources for frontline care.

Read the full issue here.

This page was correct at publication on 26/02/2026. Any guidance is intended as general guidance for members only. If you are a member and need specific advice relating to your own circumstances, please contact one of our advisers.