Book Review

One of the key roles and responsibilities of the paramedic is it to manage and control pain; paramedics have a duty of care to ensure that pain is managed effectively. Failure to ensure a duty of care can have serious consequences.

Dimond's updated second edition has been extensively revised and restructured. There is evidence of a multi-professional approach and application across all areas of health and social care.

A clear and succinct overview of the legal system, the Human Rights Act, criminal law and negligence open the text setting the scene and providing valuable information. European law and the law as applied to England and Wales is used. The introduction of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 has changed the way practitioners must act when the difficult issues of decision making concerning those who are incapable of making their own decisions arise, and they do.

This is an area that often gives practitioners much concern and can cause unease, yet Dimond addresses these concerns in a clear way. The chapter on living wills/advanced decisions explains the law and discusses situations where there may be a refusal of life-saving treatment—an issue that is relevant to practice.