Medico-legal lessons from fictional rom-com doctors

You can find learning opportunities in the most unexpected of places, as we explored in our article on what TV and film doctors can teach us.

With Valentine's Day approaching, we take a light-hearted look at three fictional doctors from romantic comedy films and the medico-legal lessons their stories highlight.

Dr Dottie from Hot Frosty

In this 2024 Christmas rom-com, widowed Kathy uses a magic scarf to bring a snowman, Jack, to life. There's much to unpack about this film, but we're focusing on Kathy's friend, Dottie, who is the town doctor.

Kathy brings Jack to Dottie, concerned that he's freezing to the touch. That consultation is rife with medico-legal issues: inappropriate comments to patients, not maintaining boundaries when Dottie offers to take Jack home to care for him, and not following up on his abnormal observations or the obvious safeguarding issues.

But it's later in the film where our main discussion point arises.

When Jack is brought out of the police station in extremis, Dottie stays in the onlooking crowd, pulling a sad face, rather than rushing to his aid. A bystander even says to her, "Come on, you’re a doctor - do something," to which she replies, "Do what? You can’t defibrillate a snowman."

Without doing any form of assessment, she then tells Kathy that Jack has gone and advises her to move away.

Lesson: helping in an emergency

While not set in the UK, this scene leads into a discussion about good Samaritan acts.

Although there's no legal obligation to do so, the GMC's core guidelines state that doctors must offer help in an emergency, whether in the UK or abroad.

Key considerations when offering help include:

• avoid putting yourself at unnecessary risk
• don't act beyond your abilities, or while under the influence of alcohol
• consider if there are more qualified or able people on the scene
• make a detailed record of the incident and your involvement
• explain your actions and treatment to the patient
• obtain consent from the patient for any treatment if they're conscious and have capacity
• make sure you have adequate indemnity in place.

The risk of being sued after you've helped in an emergency is very low, but the MDU provides indemnity for doctors acting as good Samaritans worldwide.

So, considering our scenario: had Dottie been a GMC registrant, her ethical duty to assist would apply, even if she believed Jack was a snowman (which raises additional concerns). Her refusal to help is not in line with her ethical and professional obligations.

Fortunately, Jack is saved by magic and becomes human, somewhat mitigating her inaction. It's a useful reminder of your duty to assist as a doctor.

• Read our guide on good Samaritan acts.

Dr Steve Edison from The Wedding Planner

For our second film trip, we step back in time to 2001 San Francisco, where Jennifer Lopez's character, Mary, is rescued from a runaway dumpster by paediatrician Steve.

The film starts with a good Samaritan act as Steve tackles Mary out of the dumpster's path. He then proceeds to assess her while stroking her hair and remains lying on top of her. Her query, "Why are you still on top of me?" does not prompt him to consider moving; he laughs instead. As he helps her to stand up, she loses consciousness, so he lifts an unconscious Mary (with no cervical spine assessment) and hails a cab.

The next scene shows Mary waking up in a children's ward with a neck brace, having undergone X-rays, blood tests and a CT scan.

Again, there's much to analyse here, but the film provides a useful springboard for discussing the importance of maintaining boundaries.

Lesson: maintaining boundaries with patients

Mary is collected from hospital by her friend, Penny, who clearly finds Steve attractive and insists he join them for an outdoor cinema night with the intention of matchmaking them. Steve obliges, and he and Mary almost kiss before heavy rain starts.

The GMC's 'Maintaining personal and professional boundaries' guidance is clear: doctors must not pursue a sexual or improper emotional relationship with a current patient. While Mary and Steve do not initially meet as doctor and patient, Steve quickly assumes clinical responsibility for her.

When it comes to former patients, the situation is more nuanced. You will need to consider:

• how long ago and for how long you were involved in the patient’s care
• whether the patient was vulnerable at the time or is now.

If your professional interaction was a long time ago, and short-lived, then it would be easier to justify a later relationship.

It also depends on the nature of your work. Relationships with paediatric or psychiatric patients, for instance, are more likely to be seen as an abuse of your position. It would also be seen as inappropriate if you still provide care for members of their family.

It makes no difference if the patient approaches you or their friend is trying to play matchmaker. The GMC says you should politely decline their offer and try to re-establish a professional boundary.

• If you're considering a personal relationship with a former patient, make sure you've considered the above factors, and are satisfied there could be no perception of taking advantage of your position or exploiting a vulnerable person.
• The GMC outlines guidance for using social media to contact patients. You can also read our advice on using social media and maintaining patient boundaries.

All things considered, relationships with former patients carry additional risks of criticism, so documenting any approach by a patient in the medical records and seeking advice from a trusted senior colleague is essential.

Mary and Steve eventually appear to have their happy ending after breaking off their respective weddings, but Steve's actions throughout are ill-advised and leave him open to criticism on several levels.

Dr Elizabeth Masterson from Just like Heaven

For our next rom-com lesson, we're staying in San Francisco, but this time it's 2005.

Elizabeth is a high-achieving ED doctor who's all work and no play. She's just secured a promotion within her department and is driving to her sister's house while on the phone with her. She puts the phone down and fiddles with the radio, and when she looks up a lorry is driving straight at her.

It's not entirely clearly who is at fault for the collision, and California's law prohibiting all drivers from using a handheld wireless phone while operating a motor vehicle only came into effect in July 2008.

Regardless, this scene highlights the dangers of distracted driving and leads us to an important topic: how doctors should handle motor offences.

Lesson: criminal offences

The GMC expects your conduct to be of a certain standard even when you're not at work.

This includes your ethical duty to inform the GMC without delay if you accept a caution, are charged with, or found guilty of a criminal offence anywhere in the world. You're also likely to be obligated to let your employer know too.

Here's what to keep in mind.

• Be wary of accepting a caution. Although the police may suggest that accepting a caution will end the criminal investigation, it meets the GMC's threshold for self-referral.
• Using a mobile phone while driving usually leads to a fixed penalty notice and a fine rather than a caution or charge. This can be confusing to know what to report to the GMC - you do not need to report a fixed penalty notice for a road traffic offence. Some offences - like those that incur an upper-tier penalty notice - must be reported to the GMC. The GMC has additional guidance on what criminal or regulatory proceedings doctors are required to report. The Ministry of Justice also provides guidance on what offences fall into this category here.
• Offences that relate to alcohol or drug use (such as drink driving) may lead the GMC to investigate a doctor's health and conduct.

For non-patient related criminal matters, doctors would usually need to instruct private legal representation to guide them through the criminal process. This can be complex, so we recommend you inform us so we can advise on your obligations to report the matter to the GMC.

You might also be contractually obliged to inform your employer of any cautions, charges or convictions.

Despite Elizabeth's collision - and her period as a 'ghost' during which she falls in love with the widower renting her apartment - she wakes up from a coma in the ITU, and we have another happy ending.

This page was correct at publication on 03/02/2025. Any guidance is intended as general guidance for members only. If you are a member and need specific advice relating to your own circumstances, please contact one of our advisers.