All doctors working for the NHS can access the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST) when a claim is brought about from their NHS work. But having indemnity in place with a medical defence organisation (MDO) can help fill the gaps left by the NHS – and is designed to look after the interests of individual doctors.

Having an MDO on your side means access to support, advice and representation when you need it most – and which isn’t provided by NHS bodies. So if you’ve received a complaint or you need to prepare a written report or statement, we can help explain the process and assist you along the way.

Doctors can also face a number of other inquiries where they will need their own personal indemnity and support from a defence organisation.

Here’s how the MDU can help you as a student and throughout your career as a doctor.

Complaints and adverse incidents

Occasionally students can become involved in a complaint or adverse incident and it’s important to get advice early. Even with a simple matter, which the hospital will deal with and respond to, it’s always best to get your own advice when asked for comments on your involvement in a patient's care. 

We can help members put together their statement and an apology (if appropriate) when responding to complaints and other adverse incidents.

Fitness to practise and disciplinary investigations

Students can face fitness to practise (FTP) investigations if their behaviour is called into question. This doesn’t only relate to their academic performance or behaviour during clinical attachments, but also their behaviour outside medical school and during social interactions. 

FTP investigations are understandably stressful and very worrying for students. As a student member, you can ask us for assistance during this process, and we encourage you to do so at an early stage. We can then advise on a suitable approach to achieve the best outcome.

Once you've qualified and you're on the medical register, doctors are subject to regulation by the General Medical Council (GMC). You need GMC registration to work as a doctor in the UK. The GMC investigates any serious concern about a doctor’s fitness to practise and can restrict, suspend or terminate a doctor’s registration. NHS indemnity will not cover the costs of defending your case with the GMC, but MDU members can come to us for advice, support and, where necessary, representation throughout the process.

Once you qualify, you can also contact us for support if you face a disciplinary investigation arising from your clinical care of patients. 

Coroners' inquests and fatal accident inquiries

It’s always a difficult experience when a patient dies, particularly if this is an unexpected death. Depending on what you choose to specialise in, writing reports for and attending a coroner's inquest may be part of your role.

There are no coroners in Scotland, but a procurator fiscal conducts inquiries into some deaths, and these are called fatal accident inquiries (FAIs). Even as a student, you could be called upon to provide a report or even attend an inquest or FAI hearing as a witness.

It’s possible for a doctor in any specialty to face an inquest or FAI at some point in their career. We can provide advice over your report for the coroner or procurator fiscal, and for general support as you go through the inquest or FAI process.

Hospitals are generally supportive of their staff when the coroner or procurator fiscal investigates a patient’s death. That said, issues can surface between a doctor and the hospital, making it inappropriate for both parties to have the same legal representation. In those situations, you can seek our assistance with representation in court.

Criminal investigations

NHS indemnity won't deal with matters where the doctor is personally accountable, like a criminal investigation against a doctor.

While it’s rare for medical students, this might happen if you’ve been involved in caring for a patient who has died under unusual circumstances, or where a patient makes allegations of an inappropriate examination.

And while your hospital may be supportive, their legal department will not provide a solicitor for an interview under caution or for a criminal trial. As an MDU member, you can seek our advice and assistance when criminal allegations stem from your clinical practice. For those students or doctors who aren’t members of a defence organisation, instructing a solicitor privately can often end up costing thousands of pounds.

Support and advice when you need it

Although it isn’t common, a single clinical incident could lead to a number of different investigations mentioned above, with doctors facing the possibility of multiple jeopardy. 

So even if your work is NHS indemnified for clinical negligence claims, there can be several other situations where you’ll need guidance, support and defence. That’s where we step in.

When the worst happens, members tell us they are thankful they had the MDU on their side and are grateful for the support and assistance they were offered at a time of considerable stress and anxiety. Not only that, but all our student members have a dedicated MDU liaison manager on hand to help them with questions about their membership and its benefits.