The Medical Protection New Zealand podcast

This is a new Principle added to the Privacy Act which requires clinicians to notify patients whenever you receive information that has not been collected directly from the patient. On first glance this looks very onerous.  Stephanie Gregor, Manager – Capability and Guidance at the Privacy Commissioner’s Office joins us to explain how to incorporate this new principle into practice without being buried with admin.

This episode examines day-of-surgery consent in Aotearoa New Zealand for elective planned surgery, with a focus on recent Health and Disability Commissioner findings highlighting the risks when key information is first provided on the day of an operation.It explores how timing, environment, and communication standards under the Code must support genuine choice, particularly when surgical plans, techniques, or team roles change.The episode aims to help clinicians manage these obligations collaboratively while maintaining safe and lawful consent processes.

There are some medications that come up time and again when we consider prescribing errors where serious harm has been done to a patient.The list includes lithium, clozapine, anti-inflammatories and anticoagulants, but one other medication that should always make us take extra special care when prescribing, is methotrexate.This podcast considers a case where methotrexate prescribing led to a patient’s admission to ICU, but there have been New Zealand cases in the past where patients have died.In this podcast we use methotrexate as an example of how you can make your prescribing safer.

It can be confusing as to which indemnifier to choose. Especially when insurance companies are not explicit concerning what they do not cover.Fortunately, Medical Protection is not an insurance product, we are a mutual owned by our members so provide wider cover.A recent start up indemnity insurer has disseminated slanted information about Medical Protection. This podcast sets the record straight and answers the question of why choose Medical Protection.   

In this episode we look at the use of standing orders and the obligations that signing a standing order form creates for the clinician and what steps we have to take to ensure we are fulfilling the requirements of the regulations. 

In modern practice we all frequently work in health care teams where other team members, who do not have prescribing rights, ask us to write scripts for patients they are seeing.Sometimes this is for patients we have seen in the past, but sometimes it may be for a patient we don’t even know.In this podcast we consider the medicolegal risks of prescribing when you yourself are not seeing the patient...• How can you ensure the patient has been properly informed about possible side effects?• Will you be held responsible if something goes wrong?• Am I even allowed to write a script for a patient I haven’t seen?• Has the Medical Council statement on Good prescribing managed to stay up to date with how modern teams work with allied health professionals often seeing patients, either in person or on telehealth, and employers then expecting doctors to prescribe for those patients?

Most doctors provide some form of telehealth since COVID. However as a result of the Government policy and funding of telehealth clinics, along with the rise in the number of narrow purpose clinics (weight loss, cannabis etc) there is increasing use of telehealth services. There are inherent risks for clinicians seeing patients by telehealth. This episode discusses these risks and how to keep your patients and yourselves safe.

In this first episode of this series we discuss the law change to allow for 12 month prescriptions.We discuss factors to consider when deciding the length of prescriptions you write. We also explore ways to minimise complaints.Although this podcast is focused primarily on Primary Care, the principles are equally applicable to secondary care and does discuss hospital prescribing at patient discharge and outpatient clinics.

A common scenario in Primary Care and in hospital Emergency Departments is when a patient has been assaulted and needs to be assessed.  The police would like a copy of the clinical notes and a statement from you.  This podcast discusses how best to document your assessment to ensure your notes are appropriate for court processes.

It is very common for clinicians to be required to be a witness of fact in a court case, at a Coroner’s inquest or Tribunal hearing. Others are asked to be an expert witness. What’s the difference? If you’ve never done this before, it can be daunting. Listen to this podcast as we explore helpful tips when faced with these unfamiliar roles.  

If you have ever been the subject of a complaint, even a minor one,  you will understand just how difficult they can be to cope with.  In part 3 of this three part series we talk about strategies that may help you to cope with the impact of complaints. 

If you have ever been the subject of a complaint, even a minor one,  you will understand just how difficult they can be to cope with.  In part 2 of this three part series we explore the personal impact on us as clinicians and hear from ‘John’, a clinician who ended up leaving the profession following an HDC complaint. 

If you have ever been the subject of a complaint, even a minor one, you will understand just how difficult they can be to cope with.  If you’ve never had a complaint, statistics would indicate that it’s a matter of when, not if.  Most clinicians experience similar reactions to complaints. In this first of a three part series we explore the personal impact of complaints on us as clinicians. 

The role of Physician Associate (PA) has been added to the growing number of allied healthcare providers in New Zealand. The PA role has been intensely scrutinised in the UK following a number of high profile cases, resulting in a Government Inquiry. We discuss the report findings of the Leng report and its implications for New Zealand as our Medical Council deliberate on how to appropriately regulate Physician Associates here.   

Privacy is nearly always complex and often difficult to understand. To bring clarity to common questions asked about privacy we are privileged to have Stephanie Gregor, the Manager for the Capability and Guidance area of the Privacy Commission come on this series of three podcasts.  We answer interesting questions such as who is a patient’s representative if they die intestate?  When can I withhold the name of a person who has provided unsolicited health information?  Can I look through any patient’s notes without consent if it’s for educational purposes?  We also discuss the upcoming amendment to the Privacy Act and many more topics. 

Privacy is nearly always complex and often difficult to understand.  To bring clarity to common questions asked about privacy we are privileged to have Stephanie Gregor, the Manager for the Capability and Guidance area of the Privacy Commission come on this series of three podcasts.  We answer interesting questions such as who is a patient’s representative if they die intestate?  When can I withhold the name of a person who has provided unsolicited health information?  Can I look through any patient’s notes without consent if it’s for educational purposes?  We also discuss the upcoming amendment to the Privacy Act and many more topics. 

Privacy is nearly always complex and often difficult to understand. To bring clarity to common questions asked about privacy we are privileged to have Stephanie Gregor, the Manager for the Capability and Guidance area of the Privacy Commission come on this series of three podcasts.  We answer interesting questions such as who is a patient’s representative if they die intestate?  When can I withhold the name of a person who has provided unsolicited health information?  Can I look through any patient’s notes without consent if it’s for educational purposes?  We also discuss the upcoming amendment to the Privacy Act and many more topics. 

When doctors receive an HDC complaint about our clinical care, and expert opinion is always obtained.  How does the GP expert measure our care?  What are the most common errors GPs make?  We are privileged to interview Dr David Maplesden, HDC in-house GP expert, in this series of 3 podcasts.  Over the series David explains how he approaches the cases, his role and the common pitfalls that GPs make in the cases he sees including the interface between primary and secondary care, our responsibility to chase referrals, missed cancers, capacity assessment and much more. 

When doctors receive an HDC complaint about our clinical care, and expert opinion is always obtained.  How does the GP expert measure our care?  What are the most common errors GPs make?  We are privileged to interview Dr David Maplesden, HDC in-house GP expert, in this series of 3 podcasts.  Over the series David explains how he approaches the cases, his role and the common pitfalls that GPs make in the cases he sees including the interface between primary and secondary care, our responsibility to chase referrals, missed cancers, capacity assessment and much more. 

When doctors receive an HDC complaint about our clinical care, and expert opinion is always obtained.  How does the GP expert measure our care?  What are the most common errors GPs make?  We are privileged to interview Dr David Maplesden, HDC in-house GP expert, in this series of 3 podcasts.  Over the series David explains how he approaches the cases, his role and the common pitfalls that GPs make in the cases he sees including the interface between primary and secondary care, our responsibility to chase referrals, missed cancers, capacity assessment and much more. 

What is the Council of Medical Colleges and what do they do?  What difference do they make?  We will answer these questions in this podcast.  We are privileged to interview Dr Samantha Murton, current President of the Council and incumbent President of the College of General Practitioners. 

You are driving home after dinner with friends.  You are stopped at a checkpoint and find yourself over the limit when breath-tested.  What should you do?  What should you not do?  This scenario is not uncommon in NZ.  How about if the police want to interview you after a patient has complained that you examined them inappropriately?  Whilst uncommon, this certainly happens.  This podcast sets out advice for those caught in these stressful situations. 

We are encouraged to discuss difficult cases and to review the cases where an unexpected poor outcome has taken place.  In the hospital setting Mortality and Morbidity meetings are very common.  If a complaint follows are the minutes of these meetings discoverable?  What about registrar reflections which are a requirement of specialty training? This podcast discusses these questions and how you can protect yourself.  

We have fielded calls from members who have been asked by HR to respond to an allegation of possible serious misconduct for looking in patient files for teaching purposes. Clinicians in teaching hospitals use patient cases for teaching on a daily basis. Do we need patient consent? What if I receive a patient complaint, can I look forward in the notes? We will explore the Privacy Code to answer this question.

Medical Council have been increasingly strict on prescribing for ourselves and family and many doctors have been notified as result.  Is the revised statement a softening? In this podcast we discuss what the revised statement means for doctors.

Except for the grace of God go all of us.  All of make clinical errors because we are human.  Some result in severe patient harm.  In this interesting HDC case we discuss the impact of bias and other factors as possible reasons for not diagnosing a PE on multiple occasions.   

Medication errors are the most common and preventable cause of patient injury.  It can be as simple as the wrong click of a mouse or not checking for medication allergies.  In this podcast we discuss 3 HDC cases from primary and secondary care identifying common traps.   Oyebode F. Clinical errors and medical negligence. Med Princ Pract. 2013;22(4):323-33. [PMC free article] [PubMed]   

In this podcast we explore the pitfalls of communication between specialties, how lack of documentation can impact your HDC response, and the role of a Trainee Intern in a busy ED.  

During a time of industrial action what are our obligations to patients?   How about to the employer?  How do we do this safely?  Sarah Dalton Director of ASMS joins us to explore these questions.

What happens if you are on board a flight to the USA and they ask for a medic. If you put your hand up to help do you risk getting sued by the American patient?  Are you indemnified? Can you safely prescribe all manner of drugs for a boat skipper in case he has an emergency at sea?

You’re driving at speed toward the airport to catch an international flight and you notice a person collapsed on the side of the road with people all around. Do you have to stop? What are your obligations to help in an emergency when you are in New Zealand? Are you going to be covered by your indemnity is the care you provide is outside the scope of your normal practice?

In this interesting podcast we discuss what a fair process looks like in an HDC case where the doctor is accused of not conducting an appropriate capacity assessment before signing a medical certificate.

Right 7 (8) of the Code of Consumer Rights states, Every consumer has the right to express a preference as to who will provide services and have that preference met where practicable. How should we respond to a patient who requests another surgeon after they had a poor initial outcome?  What if the patient doesn’t want to be treated by a registrar? What about requests for clinicians of a specific gender?   Join Sarah Dalton Executive Director of ASMS and Adam Holloway, partner Wotton and Kearney and MPS to explore these interesting questions. 

Right 7 (8) of the Code of Consumer Rights states, Every consumer has the right to express a preference as to who will provide services and have that preference met where practicable.How should we respond to patient requests to only be treated by staff of a particular race?  Do we need to accommodate their request?  What are your rights as an employee?  We are joined by Sarah Dalton Executive Director of ASMS and Adam Holloway, partner Wotton and Kearney to explore these challenging questions.  

Due to increasing work pressures, doctors are increasingly employing non-medical staff to take over traditional GP tasks.  This podcast discusses how doctors can safely supervise Paramedics, Physician Associates and nurses (e.g., cosmetic clinics) including appropriate use of Standing Orders.

Burnout is common, it often sneaks up on us, and can in some cases, be devastating for both patients and clinicians. The numbers on burnout in doctors and med students is depressing.  In this, the second of 2 episodes on preventing burnout, we look at strategies clinicians can employ to prevent burnout. 

Burnout is common, it often sneaks up on us, and can in some cases, be devastating for both patients and clinicians. The numbers on burnout in doctors and med students is depressing. There is a saying, ‘If the goldfish are sick, change the water’. Organisational strategies are as important, if not more important than personal strategies when it comes to preventing burnout. This is the first of 2 podcasts on preventing burnout. This episode focuses on what organisations can do to help prevent burnout in their staff. 

In part 2 of our 2 part series on tackling toxic workplaces we address bullying and harassment.  What do you do when you are faced with this behaviour from a colleague?  Iisten to this episode to find out. 

Difficult interactions with colleagues are not only a source of personal stress that can lead to burnout, but also presents potential clinical risk to patients as teamwork is eroded and clinical errors become more likely.  It can also be the motivation behind notification to the Medical Council. In this podcast we discuss how to manage a difficult relationship with a colleague and work towards resolution.  

Becoming a House Officer is a time of huge transition. It can be both exciting and frightening.  In this podcast we discuss potential pitfalls for House Officers starting work.    

Is a ‘robust’ argument unprofessional?  How about venting on my private social media page?  Where is the line between freedom of speech and unprofessional behaviour?  Find out the answers to these and other questions in this podcast. 

Can only plastic surgeons perform cosmetic procedures? What does appropriate consent look like?  Where are the pitfalls? This podcast discusses Medical Council’s expectations and how you can reduce your medicolegal risk in practice. 

What does supervision of other doctors entail?  How closely should I supervise?  Am I responsible if they make a mistake? What do I do if it all goes pear shaped?  We will explore these questions in this podcast.

Do you have a commercial conflict of interest?  Many clinicians now have commercial interests in areas of care outside of their traditional scope of practice: Cardiologists perform echocardiography, GPs own Rest Homes or Skin Clinics, Obstetricians perform their own ultrasound scans and on it goes. Find out if you have a commercial conflict of interest, Medical Council’s standards and how to avoid a complaint. 

This is one of the most common requests we receive at MPS – how can I stop seeing this patient? Yet there is no one solution.  We will discuss various scenarios and the general strategies you might follow to protect you from complaint.

Through our MPS advice line, we are getting calls every day about the medicolegal risk of working in resource limitation.  In this First of three podcasts on this topic we will discuss the risks in Secondary Care and how to mitigate them. We will cover topics such as excessive workload on call, junior staff shortages, your risk when error occurs.  We are pleased to welcome our guest, Sarah Dalton, Executive Director Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, on this podcast. 

Given the current work demands most health professionals are experiencing, advertising is probably the last thing you plan on doing. However, the MCNZ statement covers a lot more than just advertisements, and what you already have on your website may be problematic.

Through our MPS advice line, we are getting calls every day about the medicolegal risk of working in resource limitation.  In this third and final podcast on this topic we will discuss a range of HDC cases to identify key learnings of how the HDC view resource constraints.

Through our MPS advice line, we are getting calls every day about the medicolegal risk of working in resource limitation. In this second of three podcasts on this topic, we will discuss the risks in Primary Care and how to mitigate them. We will cover inbox management, being ‘asked’ to take over care of hospital patients, and more. We are pleased to welcome our guest, Dr Samantha Murton, President of the Zealand College of General Practice, on this podcast.

This is part 2 of a two-part series on this topic. There is a lot of chatter, particularly in Primary Care, about AI and how it can really help relieve some of the pressure, which is desperately needed. But how safe is it? What are the fishhooks? Is privacy an issue? In this episode, we will explore the important factors to consider before you use a generative AI product such as ChatGPT.