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Perceptions and deceptions: a personal blog by the editor 21 November 2016

The new international word of the year for 2016 is ‘post-truth’. The term refers to the practice of appealing to emotion and personal beliefs rather than objective and verifiable truth when attempting to influence public opinion. Apparently, the usage of...

First there was Sophia

A robot is a man-made machine which can do some things by itself. It is not alive. It has no physiology. But it does have a source of energy, sensors to interact with the external world, a rudimentary nervous system...

Gross Negligence Manslaughter in Healthcare: The medico-legal dilemma (part 2)

In Volume 1, Issue 1 of this journal I wrote an article entitled: ‘From PIP to DC-CIK to the Sorcerer’s Apprentice: a medico-political minefield’. Little did I know or anticipate what a mess this was going to become: a medico-legal mess with ignorant lawyers and arrogant doctors demonstrating how stupidity and rapacious hypocrisy can twist and distort reality for the purposes of extracting a bizarre social revenge with little sense of justice.

Gross Negligence Manslaughter in Healthcare: The medico-legal dilemma (part 5) - Who is the Judge?

I wonder what Vanessa is thinking right now. If she can even think. A torrent of images, regrets, what ifs. The onslaught must be so great, no wonder the normal response is for the mind and the body to shut down? Depression.

Gross Negligence Manslaughter in Healthcare: The medico-legal dilemma (part 11) – Misinformed assent

I wonder how fast time goes in prison? 2022.This was Vanessa’s first New Year in prison. Dr Mak’s second. Two female doctors, both in their thirties. Dr Mak graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and Dr Kwan, Vanessa, from Hong Kong University (HKU). Both are now incarcerated on the basis of myths. It is a disgrace.

Gross Negligence Manslaughter in Healthcare: The medico-legal dilemma (part 12) – Risk

Risks are ubiquitous in medicine. It is very important to realise that a risk can be both a threat and a friend. Risks relate to probabilities. The probability or possibility that the outcome may not be as desired. The Law does have a perverse view on this. The Law likes, demands, seeks cause and consequence. An honest doctor can rarely satisfy the Law. And that is why it was such a bad thing to see this poor Judge being led by the nose by two unscrupulous Medical “Experts”!

Gross Negligence Manslaughter in Healthcare: The medico-legal dilemma (part 21) - Clinical practice guidelines and indictments

Because of liability issues there is a reluctance to make clinical practice guidelines (CPG) statutory requirements; that is to say, guidelines are ‘suggestions’, not ‘instructions’. And why is this important to this case?

Gross Negligence Manslaughter in Healthcare: The medico-legal dilemma (part 24) - Prescribing Habits

How do doctors learn to prescribe/use drugs in a safe and effective manner? This is no simple question and when the issue of a prescribing habit being regarded as lethal it becomes highly relevant.