Statement of Work Services of the Medical Ethics and Judicial Unit of Medicine of the Hospital General Universitario Reina Sofia (Murcia)

Abstract

Since medicine is a social science, it is a fair reflection of collective behaviour patterns. For this reason, it is currently very affected by the high level of demand characteristic of Western societies, becoming captive of its success and prestige. The extensive development of its problem solving capacity, as well as

the existence of public health system and a state-given right, repairing the injury in its entirety, both free and universal, have raised the threshold of the public's expectations. In this context, the increase of claims of responsibility against health care professionals and institutions make the existence of Hospital Legal Medicine units or departments imperative in large health care centres which are able to confront, deal with and articulate the most appropriate response to legal actions used by patients and users with strictly professional (legal-medical) criteria.

In the Hospital General Universitario Reina Sofia of Murcia, one of these departments has offered services since 1992. It has contributed to a better formation of all personnel in legal, ethical and deontological issues, reducing the level of uncertainty in health care practice and contributing to better quality attention to patients. The appropriate management of litigation, a greater sense of judicial security perceived by all, its usefulness and cost efficiency, given the results obtained, make it very well valued, and considered to be very necessary.