Solicitors’ letters regarding ‘mask discrimination’
We are aware that practices are being contacted by solicitors’ firms seeking damages for patients for “discrimination in relation to mask wearing and access to care”. The following advice may be helpful for practices in order to identify the reasonableness of such claims:
- Check the solicitor/firm is real using the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) website.
- The SRA’s “scam alerts” for the public and businesses are also helpful.
- Report the matter directly to the SRA if you think a firm or anyone regulated by the SRA has breached an SRA Principle. There are seven Principles that all people and law firms regulated by SRA must meet. This means that they must act:
- in a way that upholds the constitutional principle of the rule of law, and the proper administration of justice
- in a way that upholds public trust and confidence in the solicitors' profession and in legal services provided by authorised persons
- with independence
- with honesty
- with integrity
- in a way that encourages equality, diversity and inclusion
- in the best interests of each client.
- There are two Codes of Conduct which outline the professional standards expected. The first Code of Conduct is for regulated solicitors, and lawyers from overseas. The second Code of Conduct is for regulated firms. This sets out requirements for those firms, the people who manage them, and other employees who work in them.
- Should you wish to report the solicitor or firm to the SRA, instructions on how to do this are here. When reporting: set out your concerns clearly, identify individuals you consider responsible, attach any evidence you have in support. Complete a report form and send to report@sra.org.uk.
- For guidance on the complaints process, call the SRA contact centre. They cannot provide advice about your issue, but can point you in the right direction.
The following resources may also be helpful:
- Misconduct notes.
- Unsolicited approaches
- Personal injury (possible parallels here)
Londonwide Enterprise update (17 Aug 2016)
Practice managers conference and events Speakers have been confirmed for the Practice Manager Conference to be held at Woburn House on Thursday 22 September 2016. ‘Leadership through Change: making the...Patient engagement survey (17 Aug 2016)
We are asking for practices to share their experience of successfully developing their patient engagement work, including top tips, by completing our patient engagement surveys. These will help shape the...London Improvement Grant Fund 2017-18 (17 Aug 2016)
The London Improvement Grant Fund application process is now open. Practices need to submit their applications by 17:00 on Friday 30 September 2016 by emailing them to: England.LondonIGfund@nhs.net. Practices should...NHS England Update on Estates and Technology Transformation Fund (ETTF) (17 Aug 2016)
Unfortunately, information regarding submission dates for reimbursement claims for NHS England’s Estates and Technology Transformation Fund (ETTF) has caused some confusion. Please note that the submission date change is not related...New GPSoE Resources - Posters (16 Aug 2016)
We have produced two posters to help practices explain to patients and staff why we are in a state of emergency. One is for your waiting room and outlines the...Capita list cleanse plan (16 Aug 2016)
At the end of July it was reported that part of the new Primary Care Support Services contract between NHS England and Capita would include a list cleanse programme, designed...New requirements for hospitals re work with general practice (16 Aug 2016)
Londonwide LMCs’ CEO Dr Michelle Drage has written to Trust and Foundation Trust CEOs across London asking how they plan to implement the new requirements outlined in the 2016/17 NHS...General Practice Resilience Programme funding (16 Aug 2016)
£2.65m of resilience funding is available to London practices this financial year, as the Capital’s share of a £16m national pot, promised as part of the GP Forward View. This...TPP QRISK2 error – responsibility for practices (16 Aug 2016)
NHS England is concerned that only around half of practices affected by the TPP QRISK2 error have accessed the lists of affected patients provided to them. Dr Andrew Green,...Feedback on Capita Primary Care Support England services (16 Aug 2016)
Following concerns expressed about the current Capita/Primary Care Support England (PCSE) records and supplies services, the BMA recently sought feedback on practices’ experience of Capita’s service. Dan Hodgson in the...Guidance
We provide expert guidance for practices in our guidance section, as well as an archive of other materials you may find useful.
GP Support
Contact our GP Support team if you need help or advice.
The team provide professional and pastoral support to GPs and practice teams on a broad range of issues.
follow us on...
