In a recent appeal against Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, the Court of Appeal was wrong to find that Dr Rushd had breached the standard of care in taking a patient’s history in *FB v Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust* [2017] EWCA Civ 334. An analysis of the court’s judgment shows that it failed to assess the standard of care required when taking a patient’s history against the measure of reasonableness. Applying this measure demonstrates that Dr Rushd did provide a reasonable standard of care. Although the court was correct to uphold *Wilsher v Essex AHA* [1987] 1 QB 730, on the basis that junior doctors should not be held to a lower standard of care, this does not justify the Court of Appeal setting the standard of care higher than that expected of a reasonably competent practitioner. Upholding this approach places an onerous burden on GPs.
2 Lowick Rose LLP (in liquidation) v Swynson Ltd & Anor [2017] UKSC 32 [2].
3 Ibid [4].
4 Ibid [5].
5 Ibid [6].
6 Ibid [43].
7 Ibid [11].
8 Ibid [9].
9 Ibid [18].
10 Ibid [1].
11 [1897] AC 22.
12 See: DHN Food Distributors v Tower Hamlets LBC [1976] 1 W.L.R. 857;; Ord and another v Belhaven Pubs Ltd. [1998] 2 BCLC 447.
13 See: Adams v Cape Industries PLC [1990] Ch. 532; Chandler v Cape PLC [2011] EWHC 951.
14 [2012] EWCA Civ 1395.
15 Ibid [121].
16 Ibid [57].
17 Ibid [58].
18 Ibid [56].
19 [1897] AC 22.
20 Practical Law Corporate, ‘Corporate Veil: Power of Court (Supreme Court)’ (12 July 2013) <https://uk.practicallaw.thomsonreuters.com/2-532-9270?__lrTS=20170429005116644&transitionType=Default&contextData=(sc.Default)> accessed 30th May 2017.
21 Roach, Card & James’ Business Law (1st edn, Oxford University Press 2016), 525.
22 [1976] 1 W.L.R. 857.
23 [1978] S.C. (H.L.) 90.
1 LL.M & PhD Candidate at The University of Exeter.
(2017). Lowick Rose LLP (in liquidation) v Swynson Ltd & Anor [2017] UKSC 32. Legal issues Journal, 5 (2), https://www.legalissuesjournal.com/article/05-02-15072017/
