To Blame or Not to Blame: The Medical Profession and Blame Culture

Traditionally, medicine has been taught by imitation, apprenticeship and humiliation. Think Sir Lancelot Spratt. Whilst that has clearly improved, there persists, in many areas, a blame culture. Following regulatory changes and various hospital scandals there is much ‘holding to account’. The combination of tradition and punitive language has done little to foster a just culture, which most researchers think is the ideal. There is increasing litigation and subsequent cost, and it remains the case in the UK that negligence has to be proved to get compensation for medical accident.

This lecture reviews the current situation and considers some other ways of dealing with the issues.

This is a free public lecture by Martin Elliott, Gresham Professor of Physic.

There is no need to book in advance for this lecture. It runs on a first come first served basis.