Defence

by reestheskin on 20/04/2018

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“Why do doctors feel the need to do this? A study in The BMJ in 2015 suggested that there is an association between increased defensive practice and a reduced likelihood of being involved in litigation.2 One might conclude that defensive practice is a logical behaviour in the face of a culture that leads to doctors being fearful of the consequences of making an error or even of a known adverse outcome.

“No doctor sets out to practise defensively, but a system has been created where this is inevitable. The GMC acknowledges that medicine has become more defensive.3 Doctors often lack confidence in the fairness and competence of investigations and continue to see the GMC as threatening.”

Tom Bourne quoted in the BMJ