Concerns over jail threat to doctors

A medical law expert and a patient safety advocate have both urged a rethink of provisions in the Patient Safety Bill that would criminalise medical practitioners for failure to disclose information in relation to serious mistakes.

Simon Mills, a barrister and former doctor, and Bernie O’Reilly of the Patients for Patient Safety initiative — who lost her husband to medical misadventure — said the aim should be to foster a culture of willing open disclosure instead of threatening medics with jail.