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The criminal law looks set to play a larger role in regulating healthcare. Until recently, health professionals only faced the prospect of criminal liability if it could be proved that their gross negligence resulted in the death of a patient. In such a case, the professional could face a charge of gross negligence manslaughter (GNM). Prosecutions for ‘medical manslaughter’ have generated concern among doctors worried about what is perceived as a rise in the number of doctors facing criminal prosecution and the impact prosecutions are having on healthcare practice. May more frequent resort to the criminal process damage rather than promote better health care? In seeking to try to answer this question, the first problem is that reliable data in this area about how many prosecutions are brought and how they fare are limited due to the way cases are recorded. What evidence does exist is often based on media reports or samples that are not representative. This paper will argue that, while the real risk of being prosecuted for medical manslaughter remains low, such fears should not be dismissed because, as Donald Berwick has argued, ‘fear is toxic’ – for health professionals and their patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the issues surrounding White Paper's uncovering of the proposal to reforming the health professionals' Trust, Assurance and Safety regulation in Great Britain. The White Paper expressed that to reform, the importance of perceptions must be rightly emphasized as public needs to perceive that the regulatory system is operating in the interests of patients. It also stresses that the General Medical Council's (GMC) four functions must be integrated in the regulatory framework.

Introduction There is an increasing expectation for the NHS to deliver a constantly up-to-date health service that is both safe and patient-oriented. This paper outlines the findings of a new risk assessment tool implemented across the organization targeted specifically to medical devices. Method The process employs a new medical devices risk assessment tool (MeDRa) to collect quantitative data relating to the contributory factors and control measures associated with medical devices used in the clinical setting. The tool utilises the responses from healthcare professionals as the 'real experts' in assessing risk to compute risk ratings for each device. Consequently the risk assessments are validated through the professional judgement of the clinical staff. Results As the data is inputted, the software tool computes the individual risk profiles for device categories in the particular clinical setting. A macro perspective of medical device risk is produced through statistical analysis and mathematical modelling using cross-tabulations. Risk perceptions are influenced by the differences in professional roles of nursing and medical staff. The outcome of the analysis is a report on medical device risks across the organization and an associated action plan, which identifies ways of mitigating those risks. Conclusions This approach efficiently produced risk assessments for each clinical area across the whole Trust in a matter of weeks. The MeDRa tool collated evidence to satisfy many of the criteria necessary for the external assurance framework. The subsequent statistical analysis and mathematical modelling highlighted a number of issues across the Trust that required interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 'Modern Matron' is one of the prominent nursing roles to emerge from the NHS Plan. The underpinning principle is to have a professional leader who is accountable for co-ordinating safe, high-quality care to improve patients' NHS experience. This paper discusses findings from a study of the implementation of the Modern Matron role in an acute NHS Trust in the East of England. The theoretical framework of 'limiting harm' was used to assess the extent to which the Modern Matron could contribute towards safe effective care and the reduction of harm. The study found that error-prone situations were clearly identified and that the Matrons were perceived to have a positive impact on a range of clinical issues. The evidence from this small study suggests that the Modern Matron role has the potential to make a positive contribution to patient safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]