With healthcare professionals’ personal and financial wellbeing being significantly impacted by the spread of Covid-19, Medical Protection Society has announced that members who have experienced a drop in their private practice income will receive the equivalent of two months membership for free.

This support is being provided to all those working in the private sector who remain in membership during this period. Members will automatically receive a payment that is equivalent to two months’ subscription in recognition of the extraordinary situation we are in. The support follows extensive conversations with members and stakeholders throughout the spread of Covid-19. MPS will also monitor the situation in the coming months and actively review ways to support members.

In a letter being sent to members, MPS confirm that members do not need to get in contact at this stage if they wish to receive a subscription relief payment. The organisation will assume that this is a member’s preferred option unless they instead choose to defer their membership, an option available to those who cease practice completely for more than 30 days.

As well as supporting members with their financial wellbeing, MPS has announced that it has extended its counselling service for those experiencing work-related stress. This service is provided through a third-party partner and is completely confidential.

MPS membership provides a range of benefits including the right to request indemnity for complaints or claims arising from professional practice.

Simon Kayll, Chief Executive of the Medical Protection Society, said:

“Covid-19 is causing significant worry and concern for healthcare professionals – for their health, wellbeing and finances – at a time when they need to be able to focus on treating patients and looking after themselves.

“As a mutual organisation, our purpose is to be there for members in times of difficulty and there has never been a more important time to step in and provide the assistance that doctors and dentists need.

“We are sharing our intent to help in this way now so that the cost of subscriptions is one less thing for members to be concerned about.

“Although we are still finalising the process for issuing these payments, we expect members to start receiving subscription relief payments within the next 4-6 weeks. Members do not need to contact us about their subscription relief payment, we will write soon to confirm next steps.

He added: “We will continue to monitor the situation in the coming weeks and months and continue to actively review ways we can support members.”

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Notes to editors

Counselling service

Our counselling service is provided by our trusted partners ICAS, who offer a personalised and professional service tailored specifically to your requirements and delivered by experienced qualified counsellors.

ICAS's telephone counselling provides immediate access to support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and face-to-face counselling sessions can be arranged near to you and at your convenience, all funded by Medical Protection.

The service is entirely independent and confidential.

Medical Protection members can call ICAS now and quote their Medical Protection membership number to book a free session. Details of our counselling service, including local and international contact details, can be found here.

For press enquiries contact: Mike Bridge at [email protected] +44(0)7773 573303.

About Medical Protection

Medical Protection is a trading name of The Medical Protection Society Limited (“MPS”). 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.