The Medical Protection Society’s (MPS) subscription rates for GPs and consultants in Ireland will increase by less than 4 per cent. The new rates will come into effect from 1 April 2006, and will be payable by members on their next renewal date.
MPS chief executive, Dr John Hickey, said:
“We are pleased to be able to restrict subscription rate increases to less than 4 per cent this year. Each year we have to balance the desire to keep our subscription rates for members as low as financially prudent, with the need to ensure that MPS has sufficient funds available to meet all expected claims, both those which are reported and those which will arise in the future from past incidents.
“The inclusion of orthopaedic surgeons undertaking spinal surgery and neurosurgeons in the Government’s €500,000 cap on individual claims has enabled us to keep these subscription rate increases in line with other categories.
“Although the frequency of claims against Irish consultants has stabilised or fallen over the last few years the average claim size continues to increase. This is due to higher settlements and substantial legal costs. It will be a few years before we get a true picture of the post-enterprise liability experience and we will continue to monitor the situation closely.
“Both claimant and defence legal costs in Ireland far exceed the legal costs in most other countries in which MPS operates. The highest hospital consultant claim settled by MPS in the last year resulted in damages of €5 million. Specialties including obstetrics, vascular surgery, general hospital medicine and orthopaedics between them gave rise to both the largest five current claims and the top five highest claims settled in the last five years.”
MPS offers support to members for all legal and ethical problems that arise from their professional practice. Subscription rates include not only the right to seek assistance with clinical negligence claims, but also with Medical Council investigations, inquests, Garda investigations (from professional practice), hospital inquiries and complaints. In the last five years the highest cost for assisting with a Medical Council case was over €140,000 for a consultant member and over €200,000 for a GP member.
MPS members who would like to find out more about the subscription rates that will apply to them can contact MPS’s membership helpline on freephone 1800 509 441 or +44 113 243 6436. Full details of the 2006/07 subscription rates are available on the MPS website www.medicalprotection.org/ireland
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For more information please contact:
Ciara Brannigan: +44 (0) 20 7399 1406 or ciara.brannigan@mps.org.uk
Shelley McNicol: +44 (0) 20 7399 1338 or shelley.mcnicol@mps.org.uk
Notes to editors
1. In 2004 the Government introduced caps on the amount of indemnity cover which consultants need to purchase for private practice not covered by the Clinical Indemnity Scheme. For most specialties the cap was fixed at €1m and for consultant obstetricians the cap was fixed at €0.5m. From 1st February 2006 a lower cap of €0.5m will be extended to consultant orthopaedic surgeons undertaking spinal procedures and consultant neurosurgeons.
2. The Medical Protection Society is the world’s foremost protection organisation. As a not-for-profit mutual organisation, MPS offers support to health professionals with the legal and ethical problems that arise from their professional practice. MPS membership offers peace of mind to more than 225,000 health professionals and their patients worldwide. Members commonly seek help with clinical negligence claims, complaints, medical council inquiries, legal and ethical dilemmas, disciplinary procedures, inquests and fatal accident inquiries. They have access to expert advice from a 24-hour emergency helpline and, where appropriate, legal assistance and compensation for patients who have been harmed through negligent treatment. We also run risk-management and education programmes to reduce adverse incidents and promote safer practice. 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.