Victor Horsley

Sir Victor Horsley (1857–1916) was a pioneer who shaped the development of neurosurgery and the direction of clinical medicine through his work with the British Medical Association, Medical Defence Union, and General Medical Council. Before the nervous system could be imaged, Horsley operated successfully on the brain and spinal cord, and performed palliative procedures on patients dying from brain tumours. Nevertheless, he became a social pariah due to his support for nationalised health insurance, child welfare and women's rights, amongst other causes. In this fascinating biography, leading neurologist Dr Michael J. Aminoff places Horsley's life and work in the context of the society in which he lived and explores his influence on the development of neurosurgery and social policies still in effect. The many underlying themes to the book include the interplay of science and politics, and the responsibility of physicians to themselves and for the welfare of society.

Considering claims against the NHS

John Tingle, Lecturer in Law, Birmingham Law School, University of Birmingham, discusses the NHS Resolution annual report and accounts for 2020/21 and recent advice from the Medical Defence Union

Medico-legal dilemma: Patient confidentiality

Practice managers regularly ask the Medical Defence Union's team of experts for advice on medico-legal dilemmas. This fictitious example is based on calls from our members

Medico-Legal Dilemma: Use of Face Masks

Practice managers regularly ask the Medical Defence Union's team of experts for advice on medico-legal dilemmas. This fictitious example is based on calls from our members

Titanium in France: research activities, industrial developments and applications

The French titanium community has been very active in the past four years for developing new applicative opportunities in all traditional sectors: aerospace, industrial, medical, defence etc. Thanks to good connections between academia and industry, the research activities are supporting the main priorities: improvement of efficiency, reduction of cost and control of the quality. This presentation will give an overview of the most significant progress made in France during the period.

Acting Law | Law Acting: A Conversation with Dr Felix Nobis and Professor Gary Watt

Dr Felix Nobis is a senior lecturer with the Centre for Theatre and Performance at Monash University. He has worked as a professional actor for many years. He previously played an assistant to the Crown Prosecutor in the Australian television series, Janus, which was set in Melbourne, Victoria and based on the true story of a criminal family allegedly responsible for police shootings. He also played an advisor to a medical defence firm in the Australian television series MDA. He is a writer and professional storyteller. He has toured his one-person adaptation of Beowulf (2004) and one-person show Once Upon a Barstool (2006) internationally and has written on these experiences. His most recent work Boy Out of the Country (2016) is written in an Australian verse style and has just completed a tour of regional Victoria. Professor Gary Watt is an academic in the School of Law at the University of Warwick where his teaching includes advocacy and mooting. He also regularly leads rhetoric workshops at the Royal Shakespeare Company. He is the author of Dress, Law and Naked Truth (2013) and, most recently, Shakespeare’s Acts of Will: Law, Testament and Properties of Performance (2016), which explores rhetoric in law and theatre. He also co-wrote A Strange Eventful History, which he performed with Australian choral ensemble, The Song Company, to mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death.

Protection against allegations of sexual assault when undertaking ultrasound examinations

The Medical Defence Union has reported an increase in the numbers of sexual assault allegations against doctors, although these are still thankfully rare. This short article discusses the experience of the Society of Radiographers in advising members who have been accused of sexual assault and identifies ways in which ultrasound practitioners can reduce the risk of having such an accusation made against them.