Primary care management of vulnerable adults

Abstract

As doctors, patient safety should be our primary concern; this and other duties of a doctor are clearly set out in the General Medical Council's (GMC) Good Medical Practice. However, several high-profile inquiries into patient safety have raised concerns about how our most vulnerable patients are protected from harm. The Department of Health (DH) has recently issued new guidance to doctors and healthcare commissioners in the hope of improving safeguarding practice in England and Wales. The aim of this article is to summarise the key messages contained in the guidance, as well as providing practical advice on how GPs can meet their safeguarding responsibilities.