Baby T was eight weeks old when his mother brought him to his GP’s morning surgery. His mother had become increasingly concerned about his general irritability and frequent crying episodes, which lasted up to two hours. These had become apparent over the past three days, not settling with breast feeding.

Mr S was a 60-year-old lorry driver. He was overweight and smoked, and couldn’t walk far because he suffered with pain in his calves.

When Mrs C, a keen golfer in her early forties, began to experience constant pain in her lower back, she consulted a GP at her local surgery. Dr P took a history of slow onset of pain with restricted mobility. He did not examine her, but prescribed an NSAID and advised Mrs C to return in two weeks if there was no improvement.

Removing patients from the practice list is an emotive issue, risking criticism from bodies such as the Northern Ireland Ombudsman, the General Medical Council (GMC) and the media and should only be used after careful consideration and as a last resort.

At presentation, Peter was 14 years old and had presented with migraines since the age of 8. He was taking Pizotifen and his headaches were well controlled. Over the past four weeks he had started getting headaches again. They were in a similar location to his migraines, but were different in nature – he couldn’t put his finger on exactly how.

Removing patients from the practice list is an emotive issue, risking criticism from bodies such as the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, the GMC and the media and should only be used as a last resort.

Doctors may, on occasion, receive a request from a patient’s employer for a medical report to be delivered directly to the HR department, without the patient seeing it. However, before any medical report can be provided, you must be satisfied that the patient has given valid consent to the release of the information. This factsheet looks at the issues surrounding medical reports for employers and other organisations, and offers advice to doctors who are asked to write reports.

Removing patients from the practice list is an emotive issue, risking criticism from bodies such as the Ombudsman, the GMC and the media, and should only be used as a last resort. The reasons for removing a patient from the list can be varied, but it should not be in response to patients lodging a complaint or failing to comply with treatment. Nor should it be used purely because a patient is highly demanding, offers criticisms or questions his/her treatment.

Mr H, a 45-year-old solicitor and father of three, visited his GP Dr P with a persistent headache. He described two months of symptoms, occurring up to six times per week, mainly in the mornings and with associated nausea.

Mrs J, a 62-year-old housewife, did not visit her GP often. However, she consulted Dr D with a two-week history of coryzal symptoms.

Mr M, a 44-year-old architect, attended his GP, Dr C, for a skin check. Dr C diagnosed a papilloma on his right chest wall as well as a seborrhoeic keratosis skin lesion of the upper left arm.

Miss A, a 40-year-old IT consultant, was talking to a colleague at work when she developed a headache, along with blurred vision and nausea.

Mr S was a 35-year-old taxi driver who was visiting his extended family abroad. While he was there he decided to have a routine health check in a private clinic. He told the doctor in the health clinic that he had noticed some rectal bleeding over the previous four months.

A doctor’s primary concern is to do their best for their patients; this includes giving advice and treatment, and arranging investigations in accordance with the current evidence base and the patient’s best interests.

An important starting point is your written report on the circumstances of the incident. This factsheet gives more information about writing this report.

One incident can be investigated in a number of different ways – as a complaint, a clinical negligence claim, a criminal case, a disciplinary matter by your employer, a Coroner’s inquest or a complaint to the GMC.

One incident can be investigated in a number of different ways – as a complaint, a clinical negligence claim, a criminal case, a disciplinary matter by your employer, a Procurator Fiscal’s FAI or a complaint to the GMC. An important starting point is your written report on the circumstances of the incident. This factsheet gives more information about writing this report.

Fit note is an informal name for the Statement of Fitness for Work. The Statement intends to advise patients who are on sick leave for more than seven days on whether, with extra support from their employer, they could return to work.

Fit note is an informal name for the Statement of Fitness for Work. The Statement intends to advise patients who are on sick leave for more than seven days on whether, with extra support from their employer, they could return to work.

Fit note is an informal name for the Statement of Fitness for Work. The Statement intends to advise patients who are on sick leave for more than seven days on whether, with extra support from their employer, they could return to work.

Confidentiality is at the centre of maintaining trust between patients and doctors. As a doctor, you have access to sensitive personal information about patients and you have a legal and ethical duty to keep this information confidential, unless the patient consents to the disclosure, disclosure is required by law or is necessary in the public interest. This factsheet sets out the basic principles of confidentiality.

Confidentiality is at the centre of maintaining trust between patients and doctors. As a doctor, you have access to sensitive personal information about patients and you have a legal and ethical duty to keep this information confidential, unless the patient consents to the disclosure; disclosure is required by law or is necessary in the public interest. This factsheet sets out the basic principles of confidentiality.