Clin Med
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We describe the case of a woman who presented with seemingly non-specific symptoms, including collapse, but through examination was eventually revealed to have an unusual, potentially fatal, but treatable neurological condition. We share some thoughts on the process of diagnosis, the difficulty of diagnosing a rare disease and the practice of neurology on the acute medical take. We also highlight the value of screening neurological examination in acute medical patients.
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Medical education is vital to the future of healthcare provision. It is also expensive. ⋯ Educational budgets should be transparent - so that their use and misuse are clear. We should develop a culture of lifelong learning and continually make explicit that future healthcare professionals need investment in their education to maintain the quality and safety of healthcare delivery.
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Accreditation is one method of assuring quality. Accreditation requires the setting of standards and the creation of a robust and reliable process for assessing them. Accreditation offers different advantages to different groups, eg quality assurance to commissioners and the boards of provider organisations, confidence and choice for patients, and a quality improvement pathway for services to follow. This paper is focused on service accreditation and it proposes that service accreditation be professionally led.