Medical Defence Union recruits more staff to cope with rising volume of claims against doctors

The Medical Defence Union (MDU) has recruited six additional staff to advise its members on complaints and claims instigated against them. The MDU says that the newly-expanded team will support members on a range of medico-legal challenges including clinical negligence claims, complaints to the General Medical Council (GMC) and General Dental Council (GDC), coroners’ inquiries, and criminal cases.

The MDU acts as a defence organisation for claims against GPs, dentists and other doctors acting in an individual capacity and provides advice and representation through its in-house team in the first instance.

With rising costs for clinical negligence claims and the GMC and GDC both reporting significant increases in the volume of complaints during 2012 (18% and 42% respectively), doctors and dentists need legal support more than ever, according to the MDU.

Charles Dewhurst, head of legal services at the MDU, said: “We have expanded our in-house legal team to support members who require legal support and advice. The medical and dental professions are subject to a growing level of regulation and scrutiny, with clinical negligence claims and complaints to regulators running at an all time high.”