Since the publication of the first edition of Medicolegal Essentials in Healthcare, the need for all healthcare professionals to be aware of and have a basic understanding of the legal issues that confront us on a daily basis has, if anything, increased. The provision of healthcare is being scrutinised in a way that would have been unimaginable even two decades ago. In the UK barely a day goes by without a significant medicolegal issue being debated in the media. Recent years have seen inquiries and reports with which names such as Bristol, Alder Hey, Shipman, and Climbie have become synonymous – each of which has addressed issues crucial to healthcare and which, in part, may reflect the limited extent of the training provided in legal and ethical issues for most working in this area. As medical technology and skills increase, so it seems that issues that some perceive as peripheral concerning the legal framework in which we practice are neglected in undergraduate training. It is our belief that a basic knowledge of the medicolegal issues of healthcare is a prerequisite for safe, responsible and ethical practice – whatever our field of work. This book refers to the legal and healthcare system in England and Wales, but broad principles may be applied across many jurisdictions.