Automatic and free of charge support for retired doctors who join NHS effort to tackle Covid-19

The Government’s Coronavirus Bill published today sets out steps to increase the available healthcare workforce, including enabling the regulator to emergency register suitable people such as recently retired doctors.

To support this, the Medical Protection Society (MPS) has confirmed that those retired doctors who were former MPS members and wish to support the NHS effort will receive automatic and free of charge support with any non-claims issues should they arise as a result of their work during this period.

Simon Kayll, Medical Protection Society (MPS) Chief Executive, said:

“These are extremely challenging and unprecedented times for all healthcare professionals providing frontline services and advice to patients, and actions to help strengthen the workforce and remove barriers are welcomed.

“MPS will play its part in that, by ensuring that recently retired doctors who are former MPS members and have been reinstated to the GMC register because they wish to support the NHS Covid-19 response, receive automatic and free of charge support with any non-claims issues that may arise as a result of their work during this period such as complaints and disciplinary matters.

“This support falls outside of the state backed indemnity scheme, which only provides protection against the financial consequences of clinical negligence claims. The Government has confirmed that clinical negligence claims against retired doctors drafted into the NHS will be covered by the state scheme.

“MPS is here to support doctors and to ensure they can solely focus on treating their patients during this difficult time.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

For further information contact Kate Tullet.

About MPS

The Medical Protection Society Limited (“MPS”) is the world’s leading protection organisation for doctors, dentists and healthcare professionals. We protect and support the professional interests of more than 300,000 members around the world. Membership provides access to expert advice and support and can also provide, depending on the type of membership required, the right to request indemnity for any complaints or claims arising from professional practice.

Our in-house experts assist with the wide range of legal and ethical problems that arise from professional practice. This can include clinical negligence claims, complaints, medical and dental council inquiries, legal and ethical dilemmas, disciplinary procedures, inquests and fatal accident inquiries.

Our philosophy is to support safe practice in medicine and dentistry by helping to avert problems in the first place. We do this by promoting risk management through our workshops, E-learning, clinical risk assessments, publications, conferences, lectures and presentations.

MPS is not an insurance company. All the benefits of membership of MPS are discretionary as set out in the Memorandum and Articles of Association.