Malpractice Health Dictionary

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Malpractice: From 3 Different Sources

An American term implying improper or inadequate medical treatment that fails to match the standards of skill and care reasonably expected from a quali?ed health-care practitioner – usually a doctor or dentist. Litigation against health professionals for malpractice has been running at substantial levels in the USA for some years. During the past decade the number of cases has been rising sharply in the United Kingdom, where the more usual term is ‘clinical negligence’. The increase is assumed to be partly because of failings in the NHS, and partly because patients have more understanding of health care, accompanied by higher expectations of treatment outcomes.

Patients concerned that they or their relatives might have been subject to negligence which has caused harm should consult a solicitor experienced in the ?eld of clinical negligence.

www.avma.org.uk

Health Source: Community Health
Author: Health Dictionary
Professional misconduct or failure to apply ordinary skill in the performance of a professional act.
Health Source: Medical Dictionary
Author: Health Dictionary
n. professional misconduct: treatment falling short of the standards of skill and care that can reasonably be expected from a qualified medical practitioner.
Health Source: Oxford | Concise Colour Medical Dictionary
Author: Jonathan Law, Elizabeth Martin

Medical Error

An error or omission in the medical care provided to an individual. Medical errors can occur in diagnosis, treatment, preventive monitoring or in the failure of a piece of medical equipment or another component of the medical system. Often, but not always, medical errors result in adverse events such as injury or death. See also “malpractice”; and “incidence monitoring and reporting”.... medical error

Voluntary Reporting

A medical error reporting system where the reporter chooses to report an error in order to prevent similar errors from occurring in the future. See also “medical error”; “malpractice”; “monitoring and incidence reporting”.... voluntary reporting

Medicolegal

Relating to aspects of medicine and law that overlap. Among the matters on which medicolegal experts advise are the laws concerning damages for injuries due to medical negligence or malpractice, evidence concerning the extent of injury in a civil action, the use of paternity tests, the mental competence of people who have drawn up wills, and restrictions on the mentally ill.

Medicolegal issues also include an individual’s right to die (see brain death; euthanasia; living will); the necessity for informed consent to any surgical procedure; the legal aspects of artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, sterilization, and surrogacy; and a patient’s right to confidentiality concerning his or her illness. (For the medical aspects of criminal law, see forensic medicine.)... medicolegal

General Medical Council

(GMC) the regulatory body of the medical profession in the UK, which was established in 1858 by the Medical Act and has statutory powers. It licenses doctors to practise medicine and has the power to revoke licences or place restrictions on practice. The governing body of the GMC, its Council, comprises 12 members, 6 of which are medically qualified and 6 of which are not. Its purpose is to protect, promote, and maintain the health and safety of the public by ensuring proper standards in the practice of medicine and medical education and training. Following various high-profile cases involving malpractice, there has been a shift in the role of the GMC from one of simple registration to that of *revalidation of doctors.

GMC website: includes the Council’s guide to Good Medical Practice... general medical council


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