forensic medicine

Free virtual annual conference 2020: What does good look like during and after COVID-19?

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NOW, MORE THAN EVER, NHS AND VOLUNTARY SECTOR PROVIDERS, SERVICE USERS, COMMISSIONERS, VOLUNTEERS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS NEED THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME TOGETHER, COLLABORATE, DISCUSS, INSPIRE AND LEARN FROM EACH OTHER.

The NHS Substance Misuse Provider Forum is determined to provide a platform for this to happen. We are therefore pleased to announce that our 2020 Annual Conference will now be delivered online and for free on the 9th September, time to be confirmed.

Further details will be announced soon.

Please click here if you wish to register your interest and receive news and updates about the event.

FFLM Annual Conference

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The Faculty of Forensic & Legal Medicine’s 14th Annual Conference will take place on Friday 15 and Saturday 16 May 2020 at the Royal College of Pathologists, London.

The theme for 2020 is Challenges in Forensic & Legal Medicine.

Confirmed speakers include:

  • Mr Leslie Hamilton, Chair of Independent Review of Gross Negligence Manslaughter and Assistant Coroner (Durham and Darlington);
  • Ms Nicole Jacobs, Domestic Abuse Commissioner;
  • Dr Andrew Johns, Consultant Community Forensic Psychiatrist, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust;
  • Mrs Dee Inott, Nurse Educator, University Central Lancashire and Forensic Nurse Examiner;
  • Dr Liliane Field, Assistant Deputy Coroner, Inner London;
  • A/Professor John Gall, President International Association of Clinical Forensic Medicine (IACFM);
  • Dr Nigel Hewett OBE, Medical Director, Pathway and Secretary to the Faculty for Homeless and Inclusion Health;
  • Metropolitan Police Service Stalking Threat Assessment Centre multi-agency team;
  • Chief Constable James Vaughan QPM, National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Transforming Forensics;
  • Professor Nairn Wilson CBE, Director MDDUS and Past President of the General Dental Council.

To view the programme and to book your place, please click here.

If you have any questions, please contact tessa.lewis@fflm.ac.uk.

SMMGP RCGP | 24th Annual conference; Managing drug and alcohol problems in primary care

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24TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE – MANAGING DRUGS AND ALCOHOL PROBLEMS IN PRIMARY CARE – NAVIGATING IN STORMY WEATHER

24th Annual Conference: Navigating in Stormy Weather

Date: Thursday 30 & Friday 31st January 2020

Venue: RCGP HQ, 30 Euston Square, London.

This joint RCGP and SMMGP conference is the largest event in the UK for GPs, shared care workers, nurses and other primary care staff, specialists, commissioners and researchers interested in, and involved with the management of drug and alcohol users in primary care.

The conference will explore the roles primary care can play in drug and alcohol services, for example in the added value of being able to address coexisting health issues. With shrinking budgets there is a greater need to meet together to share best practice, get encouragement from other areas and learn how it is still possible to provide an effective service.

Confirmed speakers:

Professor David Nutt
Dr Cathy Stannard
Dr Martyn Hull
Dr Steve Brinksman
Dr Ed Day

Pricing:

Early bird rate until 18 October 2019:

Two-day tickets: £299
One day tickets: £209

Full price tickets from 19 October 2019:

Two-day tickets: £345
One day tickets: £242

WHO | Reports on EU prison health

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This report presents an analysis of data collected on the health status of people in prison and prison health systems for 39 countries in the WHO European Region. The Health in Prisons European Database (HIPED) survey collected data from Member States between 2016 and 2017 to enable monitoring and surveillance of health in prisons. The aim of this report is to provide an indication of the current status of prison health in the European Region and highlight areas of prison health policy that should better be aligned to WHO guidance. The report presents data and recommendations under the following headings: prison population statistics, prison health-care systems, prison environment, risk factors for ill health, disease screening on admission, prevention of infection, treatment and mortality. These data, alongside WHO guidance on health in prison, will help to inform and influence policy-makers to improve the health outcomes of people in prison.

Download the full report here (PDF, 1.86 MB)

CPS | Rape Inspection 2019

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Date of publication: 17 Dec 2019

Since HMCPSI last inspected Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) Units in 2016 there has been a substantial increase in the number of allegations of rape and yet the number of rape prosecutions has fallen significantly. In the year ending March 2019 alone there were 58,657 allegations of rape, but there were only 1,925 successful prosecutions. The inspection looks at a small part of the overall picture – that is the role of the Crown Prosecution Service.

Inspectors examined 450 rape flagged cases – 200 cases which were ‘admin finalised’ which are cases sent back by the CPS to the police for further investigation, and 250 cases split equally between charges and CPS No Further Action (NFA) decisions. Other evidence gathered included interviews with legal managers, focus groups with RASSO lawyers, reviews of documents and information provided by the CPS and analysis of performance data.

The key findings from there report were:

  • Since 2016, the number of cases prosecuted by the CPS has fallen by 52%. This is despite the fact that there has been a 43% rise in the number of rape allegations to the police.
  • But there has been a 23% fall in the number of cases referred to the CPS for a decision by the police. This reduction means that while reports of rape to the police have nearly doubled, a significant number of these cases have not been referred to the CPS.
  • Nearly a third of all the cases which the CPS received from the police were ‘admin finalised’. These are cases which are sent back by the CPS to the police for further investigation.
  • There have been concerns that the CPS were only charging easy cases where a conviction was more likely, rather than applying the appropriate legal test (known as the Code for Crown Prosecutors). That view is not supported by the findings from this inspection.
  • CPS has improved its application of the Code for Crown Prosecutors – the test for prosecutions: in the 2016 inspection there was a 10% failure rate but in this inspection there was a 2% failure rate..

HM Chief Inspector, Kevin McGinty said:

“Since 2016 there has been a substantial increase in rape allegations, while the number of rape prosecutions has fallen significantly – which indicates there is a serious problem.

The CPS has been accused of only choosing easy cases to prosecute, but we found no evidence of that in our report. While the CPS needs to improve the way it works with the police, the CPS is only a small part of a larger systemic problem in the criminal justice process in dealing with complex cases.

More work is needed to investigate the discrepancy between the number of cases reported and the number of cases prosecuted by the CPS. This is a matter for the Government to consider in its Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy.

Rape inspection 2019 (1.70 MB)

RCGP’s 7th Health & Justice Summit: Journeys Through Justice – Leadership and Transformation

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RCGP’s 7th Health and Justice Summit: Journeys Through Justice – Leadership and Transformation is a 2-day summit organised by the RCGP Secure Environments Group.

The main title will be ‘Journeys Through Justice – Leadership and Transformation’ – focusing on a range of themes including Women in prison, Transgender pathways, Children’s services, Learning disability and difficulty and Trauma-informed care. This is just an outline of some of the subjects being covered, there will be many more as our submissions come through.

FFLM | Forensic Sampling – Innovations for the 21st Century

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Is your knowledge up to date with the latest recommendations for the collection of forensic specimens from complainants and suspects? With the recent advances in forensic science, do the facilities used for the forensic clinical examination and the equipment provided (including forensic kits) fulfil the current requirements for reducing the potential for DNA contamination?

 

This course will be lecture based with presentations from forensic scientists, police, and the Forensic Science Regulator, Dr Gillian Tully. There will be time for discussion of illustrative case studies.

 

Objectives of course

  • To describe the role of the Forensic Science Regulator
  • To discuss the recent changes to the recommendations for the collection of forensic specimens from complainants and suspects and the evidence that underpins the recommendations
  • To explain the advances in forensic science that support the current DNA anticontamination guidance

Patient Focused | London

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Patient Focused! is a 2-day course accredited by the British Institute of Professional Photography and the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. Students who pass the assessment on Day 2 will be eligible to apply for licentiate membership of British Institute of Professional Photography which awards the “LBIPP” post-nominal.

Each Patient Focused! course is conducted by experienced photographers and doctors. The course attracts 12 CPD points via the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine in London and are approximately 50% theory and 50% practical. Patient Focused! courses cover ethical and legal issues such as consent, confidentiality, data protection and GMC guidelines.

Patient Focused! provides all equipment. Using Nikon D3400 SLR cameras with the settings in “manual”. Make-up artists reproduce injuries such as erythema, bruises, scars and abrasions by using fake blood, skin wax and make-up: candidates practise on each other for this!

There is a maximum of 12 students per course with much of the practical work involving pairing-up to help with learning. If you require a bespoke training course at a specific venue and date, Patient Focused! will be happy to discuss this: please contact Patient Focused! at info@patientfocused.co.uk for further details.

Investigating a complex murder: Combining forensic and legal medical expertise

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Using as a starting point a real-life murder and sexual assault, this meeting, organised by The Royal Society of Medicine, will approach the different forensic specialities who may be involved. You will learn about current best practice and ethical dilemmas in the field.

Experienced speakers will show how a single case can involve many different forensic and legal practitioners, and raise legal, clinical and ethical concerns for each of them.

 

Meeting topics

  • Be aware of how a complex murder investigation evolves
  • Understand the roles of different forensic specialities
  • Know current best practice in custody and sexual offences medicine

 

Agenda

Registration, tea and coffee

Welcome and introduction

Speaker setting the scene (GMP)

Examination of unconscious woman (Dr Michelle Carroll)
Tea and coffee break

Care of suspect – new guidelines on fitness for interview (Dr Margaret Stark, Specialist in Clinical Forensic Medicine)
Panel discussion

Lunch

The forensic pathologist’s role (Dr Philip Lumb, Forensic Pathologist)
The forensic psychiatrist’s role (Professor Keith Rix, Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist)
Tea and coffee break

How coroners would be involved (Mr Sean Horstead, Assistant Coroner)
Panel discussion

Closing remarks

Close of meeting

Patient Focused | London

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Patient Focused! is a 2-day course accredited by the British Institute of Professional Photography and the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. Students who pass the assessment on Day 2 will be eligible to apply for licentiate membership of British Institute of Professional Photography which awards the “LBIPP” post-nominal.

Each Patient Focused! course is conducted by experienced photographers and doctors. The course attracts 12 CPD points via the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine in London and are approximately 50% theory and 50% practical. Patient Focused! courses cover ethical and legal issues such as consent, confidentiality, data protection and GMC guidelines.

Patient Focused! provides all equipment. Using Nikon D3400 SLR cameras with the settings in “manual”. Make-up artists reproduce injuries such as erythema, bruises, scars and abrasions by using fake blood, skin wax and make-up: candidates practise on each other for this!

There is a maximum of 12 students per course with much of the practical work involving pairing-up to help with learning. If you require a bespoke training course at a specific venue and date, Patient Focused! will be happy to discuss this: please contact Patient Focused! at info@patientfocused.co.uk for further details.

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