As a GP practising in England and Wales, you may believe that the CNSGP due to come into force at the start of April 2019 will provide all the help and support you’ll need should you run into professional difficulties. But what about all the things it won’t help you with?
GPs need comprehensive protection that CNSGP alone won't provide.
The scheme will not cover you for non-NHS work, representation at inquests, GMC hearings and disciplinary investigations. Such situations can seriously impact upon your career and could ultimately result in you being struck off.
The scheme will also not include advice and support – something highly prized by MDDUS members. It is therefore crucial that you have access to support and guidance from experienced medico-legal advisers.- 24/7 medico-legal advice
- Advice and assistance with GMC investigations including expert legal representation at MPTS hearings
- Advice, support and representation for NHS England PAG investigations and PLDP hearings
- Support with Ombudsman investigations
- Assistance with coroner’s inquests
- Indemnity for private clinical work outside of your NHS contract
- Indemnity for writing insurance reports
- Indemnity for worldwide Good Samaritan acts
- Assistance with patient complaints
- Assistance with disciplinary matters
- Assistance with HR and employment issues for practice staff
- A range of medico-legal publications, on and offline
- Discounted medico-legal training.
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I am a GP working in England, why do I require MDDUS membership when I already have NHS indemnity?
Under CNSGP, GPs will be indemnified for work undertaken within their NHS contract. If, however, you are involved in disciplinary issues, GMC referrals, or coroner’s inquests you would not receive any assistance unless you have secured membership with MDDUS. Such situations can seriously impact your career and could ultimately result in you being struck off. It is therefore crucial that you have access to support and guidance from experienced medico-legal advisers. Over the last 12 months alone, we have opened nearly 4,000 new case files from GP members relating to these issues not included in the government scheme.
Further details of our MDDUS occurrence-based new product for GPs will be available shortly.
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If I am referred to the GMC will the NHS offer me assistance?
No. It never has and never will. CNSGP will not assist you if you are involved in a GMC matter. It is important to remember that the GMC has the power to suspend, place restrictions on your practice, issue you with a warning and ultimately erase you from the register. With such potentially severe consequences there are a range of advantages of having representation and assistance from MDDUS whose focus will be to ensure that your case is dealt with fairly and efficiently and that you are properly represented.
In the last 12 months we have assisted over 200 hundred members facing GMC investigations. Latest figures from the GMC reveal that doctors appearing before disciplinary panels without legal representation are more likely to receive tougher sanctions. Nearly four fifths of doctors who were struck off the register at MPTS hearings in the last three years did not have any legal representation. Compare this to the 80 per cent of doctors who had legal representation and did not receive a sanction.
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What are the advantages of having assistance from MDDUS at a coroner’s inquest?
An individual can be found to be at fault at an inquiry and any criticisms made can lead to a GMC or a criminal matter being raised against you. With such high stakes it is important to have the support and guidance of a medico-legal adviser with the experience and insight to advise you on how to conduct yourself at such a formal and daunting process. MDDUS employs and retains some of the UK’s leading medico-legal solicitors and can instruct the best legal representation, which will be made available to members free of charge. In the last 12 months we have assisted 513 GP members with coroner’s inquests. Close -
Tell me more about the advice the BMA are giving to GPs in England and Wales on MDO membership following CNSGP?
The BMA recently reminded GPs of the importance of retaining their MDO subscription when CNSGP is introduced in April 2019. Advice from the BMA states that GPs “still need to retain membership of an MDO” and “MDOs will continue to play an important role in providing legal advice, representation for GMC hearings and also for the rare occasion where a criminal case occurs.”
You can read the BMA advice here.
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