FAQs
Click on one of the questions below to reveal more information.
I am a locum GP. Is my subscription based on the average number of sessions I do each week?
Yes. Core hours are defined as 8am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday. A session will normally be defined as a half-day. Where this is inappropriate, a session can be considered to be a continuous period of work of between 3.5 and 5 hours.
Out-of-hours: When you are employed for a set number of hours each week, this number should be divided by four to obtain the sessional equivalent for subscription calculation.
What does MPS define as a session?
Core hours are defined as 8am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday. A session will normally be defined as a half-day. Where this is inappropriate, a session can be considered to be a continuous period of work of between 3.5 and 5 hours.
Out-of-hours: When you are employed for a set number of hours each week, this number should be divided by four to obtain the sessional equivalent for subscription calculation.
As a GP what happens if my working circumstances change?
MPS recognises that GPs have their own particular needs and offers a flexible service to meet them. Your career options are varied, and at some point you may wish to consider part time work, a career break or opting for the retainer scheme.
Our subscriptions reflect the variety of work undertaken by GPs, so you will never pay more than the appropriate amount for the protection you need. Call our membership helpline on 0845 718 7187 for a detailed individual quote. Calls to Membership Services may be recorded for monitoring and training purposes.
Does MPS offer a group scheme for practices?
Yes, we believe there are significant benefits for the practice if all doctors are members of the same medical defence organisation so we offer practices the opportunity to join our practice package. Find out more about our Practice Xtra packages.
Is it true that because you don't have an insurance contract you don't have to assist me?
All decisions to assist members are at the discretion of the MPS Council and as such, we are not bound by a contract of insurance. Whilst it would be possible not to assist, in practice, discretion has been exercised positively to support our members in many circumstances where an insurance policy would not be able to help.
MPS is a mutual organisation and, unlike commercial insurance companies whose aim is to make a profit, we exist solely for the benefit of our members. All decisions are made with this philosophy in mind. If we did not provide the professional support and expert advice needed by our members, we would not deserve to last as long as we have.
It may also be helpful to note the following points:
■ No patient who has suffered harm as a result of clinical negligence on the part of an MPS member, has ever gone uncompensated as a result of MPS exercising its discretion negatively.
■ Doctors talk to each other and if we had left doctors without assistance you would have heard about it.
■ The Section 60 Order (The Medical Act 1983 (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Amendments Order 2006) which will bring in compulsory indemnity for doctors in the UK was introduced into Parliament at the end of June 2006 and has been passed. Discretionary indemnity has been accepted by the government as an appropriate form of indemnity.
■ The government have also indicated their preference that doctors should have a choice of products available to them, and that discretionary indemnity should be one of those choices.
■ Medicine and the law changes frequently and it is impossible to write an insurance policy to cover all of the problems that a doctor might encounter. Perhaps this is why, when their insurance policy fails to assist their members, the MDU still relies on the flexibility of their discretionary assistance?
What happens if I leave MPS?
Members with occurrence-based indemnity can contact us for assistance with matters arising from an incident that occurred whilst in membership without any further payment.
Find out more
If you have any other questions which have not been answered in this section, please don’t hesitate to contact MPS Membership Services who will be happy to help. You can call the helpline on 0845 718 7187, or email an adviser. Calls to Membership Services may be recorded for monitoring and training purposes.
Alternatively, you can write to:
Membership Services
Medical Protection Society
Granary Wharf House
Leeds
LS11 5PY.