When the first conference on clinical risk management in this country was held in Oxford in 1989, there was very little experience here and the meeting had to draw heavily on experts from California, many of whom have contributed to this book. Since then, the position has changed quite dramatically. There can now be few doctors and nurses and even fewer health service managers who remain unaware of the size of the problem of medical litigation and of the implications for trusts. The publication of this book is therefore very timely.

The approach taken by the editor is to gather together a wide range of experts from the several disciplines concerned so that all aspects of clinical risk management can be covered and a comprehensive picture presented. The book should be seen as a …