Description
Veterinary surgeons are increasingly concerned about their potential liability for veterinary negligence and related claims, and about the prospect of facing the RCVS Disciplinary Committee. They are right to be concerned: the number and value of veterinary negligence cases rises year by year, and so does the number of hearings of the Disciplinary Committee (23 in 2018, 20 in 2017, 12 in 2016, and 1 in 2015).
Yet veterinary surgeons are often unclear about the elements of legal liability. What has to be proved in order for a negligence claim to be successful? Can a claim be brought for breach of confidentiality, and if so, how? What is the legal relevance of the consenting process? And so on.
This webinar, presented by a barrister specialising in veterinary and medical law, who is himself a veterinary surgeon, will outline the anatomy of clinical negligence and related claims, guide vets through the process of disciplinary investigation, and indicate how vets can steer clear of the lawyers. It will be thoroughly practical: all the points will be illustrated by reference to examples from the clinical coalface. The aim is to help vets sleep better at night, and to ensure that they never meet a barrister.
