Doctors and nurses are trained to keep cardiac-arrest sufferers alive, but a new study has revealed that their skills in life support deteriorated, when not used, after six months to a year following training.

Doctors-in-training who were given iPads to view patient records and organise care have said that the technology has allowed them to cut an hour a day off their workload.

Coroner Ian Smith believes that doctors should be allowed to have a green flashing light on top of their cars for attending emergencies.

The number of doctors-in-training who self-prescribe over-the-counter medicines has dropped, according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The NZMA code of ethics prohibits doctors from treating themselves or family, but where should the line be drawn? Do doctors risk losing objectivity when they treat those closest to them?

When faced with terminal illness, medical professionals often forgo further treatment and instead opt to die peacefully, at home.

A consensus statement on the role of the doctor in New Zealand, published in today’s New Zealand Medical Journal, highlights the key skills and personal attributes required by doctors to ensure patient care is not compromised in a health sector undergoing significant change.