To examine the interaction between medical practice and the law and the fundamental legal principles governing the doctor-patient relationship;

To offer a detailed consideration of the legal principles regulating compensation of victims of medical accidents, consent to medical treatment and the confidentiality of the doctor-patient relationship;

To consider basic principles of medical ethics and their application

(LO1) At the end of this module students will be able to have knowledge and understanding of the basic principles of Medical Law and detailed knowledge of the law in some key areas

(LO2) At the end of this module students will be able to have a basic understanding of the context in which medicine is practiced in the UK and the impact of legal rules on the practice of medicine

(LO3) At the end of this module students will be able to have an understanding of the ethical issues involved in particular areas of medical practice, such as consent to treatment

(LO4) At the end of this module students will be able to have an ability to identify correctly and apply the law and ethical principles to hypothetical facts

(LO5) At the end of this module students will be able to have an ability to adopt a critical perspective to existing legal rules and/or practices, and to identify constructive suggestions for reform

(S1) Critical thinking and problem solving - Critical analysis

(S2) Critical thinking and problem solving - Problem identification

(S3) Critical thinking and problem solving - Synthesis

(S4) Critical thinking and problem solving – Engagement and application of relevant law

Indicative syllabus –

Some consideration of basic principles of medical ethics;

Consent to treatment, including the law’s requirements around information disclosure, the patient’s rights to determine their own treatment (and the limits on those rights) and the application of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 where there are doubts about a person’s ability to make a decision.
Medical negligence and the compensation of those harmed as a result of medical accidents;
End of life decision making

Use of the criminal law to regulate the practice of medicine; The legal regulation of medical research; Doctor-patient confidentiality.

Teaching Patterns

Teaching Method 1
Lecture
11 x 2 hr sessions

Teaching Method 2
There will be 4 x 1.5 hr seminars which will run fortnightly. The first seminar will usually be an orientation session including icebreakers, introduction to the team, introduction to studying medical law, and tasks based on inculcating research and application skills and easing into some of the early substantive content in the module. Seminars 2, 3, and 4 will deal with the substantive topics on the module with a focus on problem solving/application skills and preparation for the summative assessment.

There is no workshop on this module, but assessment preparation for students is built into the provision of lectures in the form of an assessment preparation session. A lecture slot, usually in Week 11, has always been devoted to assessment preparation involving problem question exercises, exploring model answer techniques and advice. This aspect of the module is to contin ue. A formative assessment opportunity will be given, in the form of an MCQ exercise.