September 23rd, 2020The tragic death of Dr Abdulhay Munshi's death has brought into sharp focus how the law around culpable homicide is being applied to healthcare professionals, writes Dr Graham Howarth, Medical Protection Society head of Medical Services –...
August 5th, 2020The Constitutional Court ruling setting aside the criminal conviction of obstetrician/gynaecologist Dr Danie van der Walt sets an uncomfortable precedent for the medical profession, writes Dr Graham Howarth, MPS Head of Medical Services –...
July 15th, 2020The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed some hard truths particularly with respect, but not limited to, resources, writes Dr Graham Howarth of MPS. Another area that has been exposed is the distinction between the medical ethics related to resourcing...
June 24th, 2020The “overwhelming feedback” from South African healthcare professionals is that they remain concerned about criminal and regulatory charges over COVID-19 treatment decisions, writes Dr Graham Howarth.
Dr Howarth, head of Medical Services,...
June 10th, 2020The Medical Protection Society (MPS) is calling for the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) to urgently clarify what guidelines healthcare professionals should follow when making decisions about the withholding and withdrawing of...
May 27th, 2020
It is important to understand that ethics and law are not automatically synonymous, writes Dr Graham Howarth, head of medical services – Africa, MPS. For doctors to have certainty, clearly articulated national guidelines must be developed,...
April 22nd, 2020
This pandemic has raised an opportunity for doctors and their patients to start the worst-case conversation to ensure patients are empowered to make good decisions for themselves, writes Dr Julia Ambler, palliative care specialist, Risk Prevention...
April 8th, 2020
The Medical Protection Society welcomes the Health Professions Council of SA’s updated guidelines on telemedicine, confirming MPS’s position that telemedicine should be supported to help combat the spread of COVID-19. Graham Howarth, head of...
March 25th, 2020
COVID-19 has thrown up a challenging array of medico-legal dilemmas for SA's healthcare professionals as they try to safe and effective care, writes Dr Graham Howarth, head of medical services, Africa, at the Medical Protection.
Howarth...
February 19th, 2020
An MPS survey of South African doctors has found that the overwhelming majority have not undertaken specific training in record keeping and want more guidance, writes Diane Baylis, clinical risk educator, Risk Prevention, Medical Protection...
January 22nd, 2020
Graham Howarth and Tony Behrman - Photo credits - MPS
Medical Protection's Graham Howarth, head of medical services (SA) and Tony Behrman, business consultant write:
The recent arrest of colleagues on charges of culpable homicide have...
December 4th, 2019
Clinical negligence claims are stressful, costly and time consuming. Moves towards mediation instead of litigation are to be welcomed, writes Dr Tony Behrman, medico-legal business consultant at Medical Protection (MPS).
Behrman writes:...
November 20th, 2019
Dr Graham Howarth, head of medical services, Africa, at Medical Protection looks at best practice where social media is concerned.
Howarth writes:
The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) recently introduced Ethical Guidelines...
October 16th, 2019
Burnout, recently recognised by the World Health Organisation as a syndrome brought about by chronic workplace stress, is reaching epidemic levels, writes Graham Howarth, head of medical services, at Medical Protection Society (MPS) South...
September 25th, 2019
Not only does the State want to lessen its negligence claims burden by now trying to shed its traditional legal responsibility to indemnify its employees, writes Dr Tony Behrman. But State employed practitioners also face a significant...
August 7th, 2019It is time to acknowledge that the healthcare system in South Africa is under unprecedented strain and that doctors should not be held solely responsible for errors occurring in these difficult environments, writes Dr Pallavi Bradshaw, education...
