Medicolegal Issues in Obstetrics and Gynaecology

This book highlights minimum standards relating to the management of different conditions in the practice of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. The editors explore clinical governance issues, common causes of as well as ways to avoid litigation. 

The UK is experiencing a dramatic increase in medico-legal claims. The 4 main reasons for litigation are: accountability, the need for an explanation, concern with standards of care and compensation. However the decision to take legal action is determined not only by the original injury, but failure to provide information, an explanation and an apology. Insensitive handling of an injury and poor communication after the original incident increases the risk of litigation and erodes the patient-doctor relationship. Doctors almost never deliberately cause harm to patients, however increasingly claims are being defended successfully. 

This book is invaluable to clinicians and lawyers alike and raises awareness of how to avoid facing clinical negligence claims in our day to day practice.

Swati Jha MD, FRCOG

Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist and Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer

Subspecialist in Urogynaecology

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals 

Miss Jha's main clinical workload is the management of pelvic floor problems and has published extensively on the topics of incontinence surgery and prolapse surgery. She works at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (STH) and is an Honorary Senior Clinical lecturer at Sheffield University.  She is on the Clinical Governance and Guidelines committee and a member of the Clinical Risk group. 

Miss Jha is a member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and British Society of Urogynaecologists (BSUG). She is Chair Elect of the BSUG and is Vice chair till 2019. She has been Chair of the Training Committee and contributed to the development of curriculum design and implementation for Laparoscopic Urogynaecology.

She is also a member of the International Urogynaecological Association (IUGA), Paediatric and Adolescent Gynaecology (BritSPAG), Medical Defence Union (MDU), United Kingdom Continence Society (UKCS) and British Medical Association (BMA). She is BSUG spokesperson for the RCOG journal The Obstetrician and Gynaecologist (TOG) and has served as the Yorkshire representative for NHS England on the Complex Gynae services Clinical Reference Group.  

She has trained in Medico-legal reporting and regularly acts as an expert for a range of Law firms and teaches on courses for Solicitors. She has been invited to speak on the medicolegal aspects of Laparoscopic Urogynaecology and Robotic gynaecology at National conferences by BSUG and BIARGS.

Emma Ferriman, MbChB, FRCOG

Consultant Obstetrician and, Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer

Subspecialist in Fetal and Maternal Medicine,

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals  

Dr Ferriman is an accredited Subspecialist in Fetal and Maternal Medicine. She also h

olds the joint diploma of Obstetric ultrasound from the Royal College of Radiology (RCR) and The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG). Her main clinical workload is the management of complex tertiary level Fetal Medicine including first trimester screening, prenatal diagnosis and Obstetric Ultrasound. She has a special interest in the management of multiple pregnancies, having set up the first Multiple Pregnancy clinic in Yorkshire in 2004 at Leeds General Infirmary. She has published in both maternal and fetal medicine, epidemiology and twin pregnancy. She works at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (STH) and is an Honorary Senior Clinical lecturer at Sheffield University.  Previously she was worked at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust from 2001 to 2016. 

Dr Ferriman is a member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and British Maternal and Fetal Medicine Society (BMFMS), British Medical Ultrasound Society

(BMUS), and British Association of Perinatal Medicine (BAPM).  She is also a member of the Medical Defence Union (MDU) and British Medical Association (BMA). She is an instructor for the Management of Obstetric Emergencies and Trauma (MOET) and set up the Leeds Centre in 2013.

She has trained in Medico-legal reporting and regularly acts as an expert for a range of Law firms. She has trained on the Bond Solon Medical Expert Courses including Medical Expert reporting and Courtroom skills and is on the UK Register of Expert Witnesses and is a member of The Society of Expert Witnesses (SEW). In addition she is a medical expert for the General Medicine Council’s Fitness to practise panel. She is now the Secretary General of the British Society of Biopsychosocial Obstetrics and Gynaecology.