Marc Cornock
Legal advice: Can I accept a fee for giving a presentation at a conference?
As a nurse, it's important to avoid being seen to endorse a product or service
Legal advice: Are patients allowed to read their bedside notes?
Patients are sometimes allowed to see bedside notes but have no automatic right to do so
Legal advice: Can I take my annual leave when I want?
Holiday allowance is a legal right but when you take it must be arranged with your employer
Gosport scandal: nurses need to be aware of the liabilities of making medication errors
Nurses could be struck off or even face criminal charges for administering medicines wrongly
Victoria Gillick, consent and the rights of the child
A court case more than three decades ago helped to define the rights of children under 16 to decide their own treatment
Implications for nurses who give first aid outside of work
Although the UK does not have a Good Samaritan law, nurses have a duty to help
Can employers read personal messages sent via work email?
With the current focus on data protection, the answer may surprise you
Legal advice: Do I have to report a parking fine to the Nursing and Midwifery Council?
The Nursing and Midwifery Council requires nurses and midwives to report any convictions or cautions they receive, but do parking fines and other fixed-penalty motoring offences fall within this category?
Legal advice: Can I claim exemption from jury service if I am running a clinic on the proposed dates?
Healthcare professionals used to be able to claim exemption from jury service, but it is now seen as a civic responsibility shared by everyone. Even if you ask to be excused, your jury service would likely be deferred rather than an exemption being given
Legal advice: Can a sample of cream from a pharmaceutical rep be used on a patient?
Samples provided by pharmaceutical companies can pose difficulties for nurses, including endorsement and storage issues. If you are in doubt it is best not to use the sample, says legal expert Marc Cornock
Legal advice: Can I access a friend’s medical records for them?
If you access medical records without justifiable reason you could be breaching the Nursing and Midwifery Council code and breaking the law. Avoid it at all costs, advises legal expert Marc Cornock
Legal advice: Do I have a professional duty to have the flu vaccination?
As NHS England medical director Sir Bruce Keogh calls for a debate about mandatory flu vaccination for front-line NHS staff, legal expert Marc Cornock outlines your professional responsibilities as a nurse
Legal advice: What should I do if police ask me to take a blood sample from an unconscious patient?
A police constable may request that a blood sample be taken from someone incapable of giving consent, but a health practitioner cannot be compelled to do this and the person taking the sample must not be involved in the patient’s clinical care, advises legal expert Marc Cornock
Legal advice: What is presumed consent for organ donation?
Prime minister Theresa May has announced a public consultation on switching to presumed consent for organ donation in England. Legal expert Marc Cornock explains what this change would mean.
Legal advice: Can I attend university if I am on sick leave from work?
You may be allowed to attend university if your GP has issued you with a ‘fit note’ indicating which tasks you can and cannot perform, but contact your manager to make sure you are not in breach of contract, says legal expert Marc Cornock.
Legal advice: Can I offer nursing or medical advice using social media?
Offering health advice via social media is fraught with problems as you do not have access to all the information you need and could be in danger of working outside your competence, warns legal expert Marc Cornock.
Legal advice: What should I do if I am asked to perform tasks outside of my competence?
Never perform a task you are not competent to carry out. Doing so puts your nursing career and your patients at risk, warns legal expert Marc Cornock
Legal advice: Can I refuse to care for a patient?
As long as your reasons are not based on discrimination, and it is not an emergency, you can refuse to care for a patient provided you follow your employer’s policy and keep your line manager informed, advises legal expert Marc Cornock.