Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications of the judgment in Evie Toombes v Dr Philip Mitchell [2021] EWHC 3234 (QB) for the medical profession and the NHS.

NHS Resolution advise that there are no wider implications for the National Health Service other than the need for good records management by general practitioners (GPs) and other healthcare professionals.

NHS-commissioned general practices are required to keep adequate records of attendance and treatment of patients. The ‘Records Management Code of Practice 2021’, published by NHSX, provides a legal framework for consistent and effective records management based on established standards. The General Medical Council and the British Medical Association also provide guidance on good practice in relation to record keeping by clinicians.