Fatal accident inquiry

You're a foundation year doctor working in Scotland. You've just moved from a different hospital, where you were working on an acute medical unit, when you receive a letter from the procurator fiscal's office.

The letter asks for a statement for a fatal accident inquiry relating to a deceased patient you saw about eight months ago when working as an on-call doctor. You're also advised that you might be needed to attend the inquiry as a witness.

What should you do?

Consent considerations

You're a foundation doctor working on a surgical unit. For the past few months you've been assisting with the minor op lists, clerking and consenting patients for minor procedures.

You are helping your new surgical registrar in clerking patients for other surgical lists, when she asks you to consent the patients for more complex procedures.

You feel you don't have enough knowledge of these procedures to properly consent the patients, but you don't want to appear unhelpful to your new colleague.

What should you do?

Coroner's inquest

You're a foundation year doctor working in England. You've just moved from a different hospital, where you were working on an acute medical unit, when you receive a letter from the Coroner's office.

The letter asks for a statement for a coroner's inquest, relating to a deceased patient you saw about eight months ago when working as an on-call doctor. You are also told that you might be needed to attend the inquest as a witness.

What should you do?

Foundation doctor case studies