Medical practitioners and the duty to rescue
Publication Details
Walsh, G.,
&
Walsh, A.
(2010).
Medical practitioners and the duty to rescue.
Precedent, 97 (14), 14-17.
Abstract
Clarification is needed of the law relating to the obligation imposed on medical practitioners to render assistance to persons who are injured or at risk of injury. Although a legal duty has been found to exist, the relevant law requires clarification in a number of areas, especially in relation to determining who actually owes a duty to assist, the precise nature of the duty of care owed, and what steps medical practitioners must take to effectively discharge their duty to assist.
Keywords
medical practitioners, doctors, duty to rescue, Woods v Lowns, Alexander v Heise