Records of the Joint Medico-Legal Committee of the RCOG and Defence Societies, 1985-2001

Papers of the RCOG Joint Medico-Legal Committee, including correspondence files of the Committee Chairman, relating to discussions about medico-legal problems in obstetrics and gynaecology, minutes of meetings of the committee, publications issued by its first chairman, Professor Chamberlain, and the development of an expert witness list.

The Committee was established in 1987. It consisted of representatives from the RCOG and one representative from each of the three Defence Societies; the Medical Protection Society, the Medical Defence Union and the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland, plus a senior solicitor and an observer from the DHSS. Its remit was to advise the RCOG Council of the RCOG and the Defence Societies on medico-legal matters as they related to obstetrics and gynaecology. The Committee's secretariat was based at the RCOG. The Committee was disbanded in 1998

Permission is required from RCOG senior management via the College Archivist for access to College records less than twenty years old.

Copyright of the RCOG. Reproductions are available at the discretion of the College Archivist.

Related material held by the RCOG may be found at the following references:

RCOG/A4/21/140 Presidents' files relating to the Committee, 1988-1994

RCOG/A4/25/153 Presidents' files relating to the Committee, 1988-1994

RCOG/A4/25/136-8 Files on litigation generally, 1984-1992

RCOG/A7/6/5 For the Honorary Secretary's papers concerning litigation, 1987-1990

RCOG/E4 For joint meetings of the RCOG and medical defence societies between 1986 and 1989 on how to avoid legal problems in obstetrics and gynaecology