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Perceptions and deceptions a personal blog by the editor 27 June 2016

I left the last blog with the statement that Zoey had been unlawfully killed. That is a pretty bold statement to make when the legal verdict is death by misadventure. But that was not a verdict based on validated evidence....

Perceptions and Deceptions: a personal blog by the editor 26 September 2016

As I write this blog the noble few, the bold and brave few, are in the High Court in London presenting arguments to Judge. There is strong legal evidence to support a finding that the Right Honourable Jeremy Hunt has...

Editor’s reaction to acid attacks in London

As I travelled to work to day I heard on the radio that there had been five separate “acid attacks” in London last night. It appears that these were all perpetrated by the same assailants and the motivation for the...

COVID-19: a threat or a warning?

Soon the public health implications of COVID-19 will be clearer. In Hong Kong, life has changed so much these past six months. The riots, the protests, the arson, the anarchy. And now nature shows what she can do.

Edinburgh cosmetic doctor fundraises for local NHS workers

Regular contributor to The PMFA Journal, Dr Nestor Demosthenous, has created a JustGiving page to generate support for Edinburgh and Lothians' healthcare workers currently at the forefront of the COVID-19 response.

Letter from Hong Kong (1 October 2020)

Today is National Day in Hong Kong. A celebration of the founding of the People’s Republic of China on 1 October 1949.

Letter from Hong Kong (17 December 2020)

This will be the last ‘Letter from Hong Kong’. I began back in April with a simple message, wear masks.

Gross Negligence Manslaughter in Healthcare: The medico-legal dilemma (part 8) – Propofol

Propofol played a significant role in the trial of Dr Vanessa Kwan. Vanessa went to South Korea to learn about cosmetic surgery. Cosmetic surgeons in South Korea use a lot of propofol in office-based practice. Ipso facto, Vanessa learned about propofol and its use in cosmetic surgery.

Gross Negligence Manslaughter in Healthcare: The medico-legal dilemma (part 9) – Informed consent (i)

It is one year ago today that Justice Judianna Barnes sentenced Dr Mak Wan-ling to be incarcerated for three and half years for a crime she did not commit (see parts 1-4 of this blog).

Gross Negligence Manslaughter in Healthcare: The medico-legal dilemma (part 10) – Informed consent (ii)

In the context of medicine, we typically speak of informed consent as having both an ethical and a legal basis. The ethics are related to patient autonomy and human rights. The legal perspective relates to the definition of what occurs if consent is not obtained, and a physical intervention occurs (assault or battery at a minimum and it would appear, gross negligence if things go wrong).

Gross Negligence Manslaughter in Healthcare: The medico-legal dilemma (part 17) – A mystery

There are things that we just do not know because it is now too late to find out: what were the oxygen saturation levels, for example? But there are other things we do not know although they are known. Where did Dr Kwan go when she left the operating room?

Globe trotter: Vasant Oswal launches memoir

Vasant Oswal was brought up in an era when public transport in India relied on horses. From humble beginnings in Pune in the western state of Maharashtra, he went on to become a pioneer in laser surgery in the larynx. He would also receive a Fellowship by Election at the Royal College of Surgeons, not to mention serving as Editor in Chief of ENT and Audiology News.