£21,000 paid out to a patient who became addicted antidepressant;

[Guest guest]

£21,000 paid out to a patient who became addicted to an antidepressant; and a GP who missed a fractured hip in an elderly patient with depression after he visited the doctor following a fall. The patient received over £6,500 in compensation.

GPs warned to take care when treating depressed patients

OnMedica Staff

Wednesday, 11 June 2008

http://www.onmedica.com/NewsArticle.aspx?id=eee511d2-bd99-46ee-9e3f-6488cbd59291

A major indemnity organisation is warning GPs to take care when treating depressed patients.

The Medical Defence Union says it has paid out nearly £3 million in compensation on behalf of GP members to settle 30 claims arising from the treatment of patients with depression during a recent ten-year-period.

In the latest edition of the MDU Journal, Professor Femi Oyebode, consultant psychiatrist and MDU Council member, analysed the main reasons for claims relating to the diagnosis and management of patients with depression (excluding post-natal depression).

"Depression is a relatively common presentation in general practice and in most cases, the care of patients with depression is generally straightforward and without incident. However when something does go wrong, the nature of the condition and the type of medication involved means there is significant potential for an adverse outcome, including the risk that the patient will harm themselves in some way, including a small number of tragic cases where a patient has committed suicide," said Professor Oyebode

[Guest guest]

£21,000 paid out to a patient who became addicted to an antidepressant; and a GP who missed a fractured hip in an elderly patient with depression after he visited the doctor following a fall. The patient received over £6,500 in compensation.

GPs warned to take care when treating depressed patients

OnMedica Staff

Wednesday, 11 June 2008

http://www.onmedica.com/NewsArticle.aspx?id=eee511d2-bd99-46ee-9e3f-6488cbd59291

A major indemnity organisation is warning GPs to take care when treating depressed patients.

The Medical Defence Union says it has paid out nearly £3 million in compensation on behalf of GP members to settle 30 claims arising from the treatment of patients with depression during a recent ten-year-period.

In the latest edition of the MDU Journal, Professor Femi Oyebode, consultant psychiatrist and MDU Council member, analysed the main reasons for claims relating to the diagnosis and management of patients with depression (excluding post-natal depression).

"Depression is a relatively common presentation in general practice and in most cases, the care of patients with depression is generally straightforward and without incident. However when something does go wrong, the nature of the condition and the type of medication involved means there is significant potential for an adverse outcome, including the risk that the patient will harm themselves in some way, including a small number of tragic cases where a patient has committed suicide," said Professor Oyebode

[Guest guest]

£21,000 paid out to a patient who became addicted to an antidepressant; and a GP who missed a fractured hip in an elderly patient with depression after he visited the doctor following a fall. The patient received over £6,500 in compensation.

GPs warned to take care when treating depressed patients

OnMedica Staff

Wednesday, 11 June 2008

http://www.onmedica.com/NewsArticle.aspx?id=eee511d2-bd99-46ee-9e3f-6488cbd59291

A major indemnity organisation is warning GPs to take care when treating depressed patients.

The Medical Defence Union says it has paid out nearly £3 million in compensation on behalf of GP members to settle 30 claims arising from the treatment of patients with depression during a recent ten-year-period.

In the latest edition of the MDU Journal, Professor Femi Oyebode, consultant psychiatrist and MDU Council member, analysed the main reasons for claims relating to the diagnosis and management of patients with depression (excluding post-natal depression).

"Depression is a relatively common presentation in general practice and in most cases, the care of patients with depression is generally straightforward and without incident. However when something does go wrong, the nature of the condition and the type of medication involved means there is significant potential for an adverse outcome, including the risk that the patient will harm themselves in some way, including a small number of tragic cases where a patient has committed suicide," said Professor Oyebode

[Guest guest]

£21,000 paid out to a patient who became addicted to an antidepressant; and a GP who missed a fractured hip in an elderly patient with depression after he visited the doctor following a fall. The patient received over £6,500 in compensation.

GPs warned to take care when treating depressed patients

OnMedica Staff

Wednesday, 11 June 2008

http://www.onmedica.com/NewsArticle.aspx?id=eee511d2-bd99-46ee-9e3f-6488cbd59291

A major indemnity organisation is warning GPs to take care when treating depressed patients.

The Medical Defence Union says it has paid out nearly £3 million in compensation on behalf of GP members to settle 30 claims arising from the treatment of patients with depression during a recent ten-year-period.

In the latest edition of the MDU Journal, Professor Femi Oyebode, consultant psychiatrist and MDU Council member, analysed the main reasons for claims relating to the diagnosis and management of patients with depression (excluding post-natal depression).

"Depression is a relatively common presentation in general practice and in most cases, the care of patients with depression is generally straightforward and without incident. However when something does go wrong, the nature of the condition and the type of medication involved means there is significant potential for an adverse outcome, including the risk that the patient will harm themselves in some way, including a small number of tragic cases where a patient has committed suicide," said Professor Oyebode