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Obstetrics and gynaecology is the biggest area of medical litigation, with compensation pay-outs exceeding the rest of medicine combined. Many specialists working in the field will be sued over their professional lifetime - having an increased awareness of past cases and their implications will reduce the risk of future litigation. Using landmark cases in the field, this book covers scenarios such as multiple pregnancy, hysterectomy and breech delivery, describing factors that have led to litigation. Chapters are structured clearly, beginning with case commentaries detailing both a successful and unsuccessful claim. This section is followed by legal commentary explaining the relevant laws and the verdict, finally giving a clinical commentary provided by experts in the field which focuses on best practice to avoid litigation. Edited by an accredited expert witness in the field and a barrister specialising in medical law, this is an invaluable resource for clinicians and lawyers alike.
List of contents
Preface Swati Jha; Foreword medical protection society; 1. Recent trends in clinical negligence claims in England John Mead; 2. From complaint to litigation Eloise Power; 3. Being a medicolegal expert and report writing Swati Jha; 4. Consent: Legal and clinical implications James Badenoch; 5. Prenatal diagnosis and wrongful birth David Howe; 6. Obstetric perineal trauma Abdul H. Sultan; 7. Medical disorders of pregnancy Kara Dent; 8. Fetal growth restriction and unexplained stillbirth Emma Ferriman; 9. Fetal monitoring and the challenges of identifying the fetus at risk of intrapartum hypoxia Emma Ferriman; 10. Shoulder dystocia Tim Draycott; 11. Obstetric haemorrhage and retained products of conception Andrew Farkas; 12. Infection and sepsis in pregnancy Adam Gornall; 13. Caesarean section including uterine rupture and full dilatation caesarean deliveries Emma Ferriman; 14. Assisted vaginal Birth Jo Crofts; 15. Breech presentation and delivery Myles Taylor; 16. Multiple pregnancy Mark Kilby; 17. The cervix: The nemesis of O & G Janesh K. Gupta; 18. Hysterectomy for HMB Janesh K. Gupta; 19. Endometriosis Alfred Cutner; 20. Miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy Stephen Porter; 21. Ovarian surgery, menopause hormone therapy and contraception Peter O'Donovan, Charles O'Donovan; 22. Incontinence surgery and bladder care Swati Jha; 23. Vaginal Prolapse Ian Currie; 24. Subfertility and assisted conception Raj Mathur; 25. Gynaecological precancer John Murdoch; 26. Gynaecological malignancy Helen Bolton, Anastasia Georgiou.
About the author
Swati Jha is a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist and Subspecialist in Urogynaecology at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK. She serves on the Urogynaecology committee of FIGO, is Media Spokesperson for the RCOG and was Chair of BSUG until November 2021.Eloise Power is a Barrister at Serjeants' Inn Chambers, London specialising in medical law and product liability. Her practice includes higher court advocacy, cutting-edge consent cases and defective medical devices such as hip prostheses, breast implants and trans-vaginal mesh.
Summary
This book presents examples of successful and unsuccessful legal claims in obstetrics and gynaecology practice, describing factors that led to litigation and best practice guidance to avoid future litigation. Legal and clinical commentaries are provided for each case, covering scenarios such as multiple pregnancy, hysterectomy and breech delivery.
