Reflective practice and gross negligence manslaughter

The collective imagination of the junior doctor workforce was captured by the case of Dr Hadiza Bawa-Garba, a paediatrics registrar given a 2-year suspended sentence for gross negligence manslaughter. Up and down the country, outrage and half-truths circulated in the doctors’ mess. The rumour that the GMC had used Dr Bawa-Garba’s written reflections against her was particularly difficult to dispel. It was not strictly true — Dr Bawa-Garba’s portfolio reflections had not been used by either side — but nevertheless resulted in many doctors discovering that theoretically the GMC could use their own reflections against them.