Blog
Is Section 40 of the Equality Act due a comeback?
Richard Fox
18 September 2018
Medical school graduation to investigation in less than a year
A newly qualified doctor has been issued with a warning by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) after he punched a nightclub bouncer while celebrating his graduation from medical school. He was arrested and subsequently accepted a police caution for assault by beating. As a result of the police caution, the matter was investigated by the General Medical Council (GMC) and Dr Jones then faced a hearing before the MPTS last week.This case serves as a stark reminder to all professionals to be mindful of the fact that behaviour in your private life can impact on your professional position.
29 August 2018
Health Regulators sign up to the Emerging Concerns Protocol
The Emerging Concerns Protocol (‘the protocol’) has been developed by the Health and Social Care Regulators Forum. The aim is to provide a visibly distinct mechanism for organisations with a role in the quality and safety of care delivery to share information that may indicate risks to people who use their services, their carers, families or professionals. The protocol formalises existing sharing arrangements between health and social care regulators.
29 August 2018
Transphobic comments give rise to private prosecution
Guiliana Kendal, transgender campaigner has commenced a private prosecution[1] against Linda Bellos, a lesbian feminist and longtime UK Labour Party member. Miss Bellos was reported to police over comments that she had made about her willingness to “thump” pro-transgender activists. When the police decided not to charge Miss Bellos, Miss Kendal took matters into her own hands and commenced a private prosecution.
24 August 2018
The rise of private prosecutions for insurers
Massive cuts to police and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) funding means that the traditional enforcement agencies have increasingly less resources to commit to the investigation and prosecution of insurance fraud. Against that backdrop the use of private prosecutions by insurers is on the rise. In this article Melinka Berridge explains what a private prosecution involves, how to mitigate the risks associated with them and consider why insurers should use private prosecutions as a weapon to tackle fraud.
24 August 2018
Jeremy Hunt strips the GMC of their right to appeal MPT’s decisions
The GMC will be stripped of its power to appeal against decisions made by the MPTS following recommendations from a government review commissioned following the proceedings of Dr Bawa-Garba.
