QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

As soon as you can. Unlike some insurers we don’t have to wait until a claim is made to help – if you receive a complaint, for example, our experts can help you prepare the best response in order to prevent the situation escalating. Or if you just need some advice – contact our medicolegal advice team.

Because the indemnity we protect you with is discretionary, we have the flexibility to help even in the most unusual circumstances, or where a new problem appears. This is very different to insurance, where policies include fixed terms and exclusions. It is only in exceptional circumstances that we’re unable to help – for example, if a member wasn’t in membership when the incident occurred, had underpaid their subscription or underdeclared their scope of work.

While most insurance companies have shareholders to pay, Medical Protection is a member-owned, not-for-profit organisation. This means we exist purely for the benefit of our members.

There are two types of professional protection: claims-made and occurrence-based.

• Occurrence-based indemnity – the type Medical Protection provides in Singapore – protects you for incidents that occur during your period of membership, even if a claim related to the incident is not made until years after. Providing you were in membership and paying the correct subscription at the time of an incident that’s given rise to a case or claim, we can protect you even if you’re no longer in membership, or retired. That means you are protected for future claims arising from any year in which you were a member.

• Claims-made indemnity is what insurance policies are usually based on. This type of indemnity protects you for claims related to your practice that arose, and are reported during, a continuous period of membership. This means that if a claim arose outside that period, you would not be able to seek assistance unless you bought ‘run off’ cover (also known as extended reporting benefits). This can be expensive and limited to a set number of years, whereas complaints and claims can arise even decades after the event.

 

The principle of discretion means having the freedom to decide what should be done in any given situation. The discretionary approach to indemnity gives us the flexibility to help members in situations where a tightly worded insurance contract might rule out help.

We use people, rather than contracts, to decide how best to help. Our medicolegal consultants, specialist lawyers, and cases and claims experts use their insight to determine the right course of action, and bring their experience and understanding to supporting you every step of the way. We are owned by members, so our starting point is always to see how we can help members.

If you believe that you’re going to be late, we’d recommend that you register on another date. The introduction to each session is important for the messages later. Most colleges require proof from us that you’ve attended the complete workshop and may take into consideration any discrepancies between attendance-register records and time claimed.

All virtual workshop places are limited and it’s not possible for the workshop presenters to cater for members who do not book a place in advance.

The course materials are only an addition to the virtual workshop and not a replacement for it. They don’t contain the videos, exercises or speaker’s notes that are vital parts of learning. This means the course materials are only for those who attend and can’t be sent out or made available online.

Our virtual workshops are extremely popular, and with limited spaces available they can book out within a very short time. Members are encouraged to log in to our online learning hub regularly to see what professional development courses are available.

If you give us notice or if an emergency arises (either private or patient) we won’t charge you. However, we do reserve the right to charge a cancellation fee to attendees who don’t contact us about their inability to attend (before or after the event), particularly if this happens on more than one occasion.

Not at present. Our range of doctor-led professional development training (included in your membership) is designed to reduce your risk, better protect your career and improve patient outcomes.

No, we can issue a duplicate certificate to you free of charge. Please email [email protected] to request a new certificate.

Read our article to find out what to do next.

If your scope of work has changed and you think you may be on the wrong grade please get contact by emailing [email protected] or call 800 616 7055 so that your membership can be updated. 

Please call our medicolegal advice line on 800 617 7055 (Available 24/7).

Please complete the online form to request sponsorship or request a speaker. You can do this here. At least four months notice is required to be involved in any activity. 

Extended liability

Medical Protection membership grants the right to request indemnity in relation to your own clinical practice. However, as an owner or partner in a practice you may be responsible for liability arising from other elements of the business, for example:

• vicarious liability for the acts and omissions of other healthcare professionals or staff at your practice;
• liability for products that are sold at your practice;
• liability in relation to the safety of the practice environment; and
• liability for non-clinical matters such as taxes and the performance of contracts entered into by or on behalf of your practice.

It is important to understand that the subscription for an individual Medical Protection member is calculated on the basis of the risk represented by that member alone. In the interests of fairness across the membership as a whole, where you are exposed to additional liabilities (such as those listed above), you do not have the right request indemnity for matters beyond your own clinical practice, unless your membership grade is expressly extended to cover these. Note that Medical Protection offers corporate membership and other bespoke arrangements for members who require indemnity for the clinical negligence of their staff. Please contact your local membership office for further information.

If you are employed by the state, and treat patients in a state facility, then the state provides indemnity against claims arising from your professional practice.

State indemnity will only cover the financial consequences of a claim for clinical negligence. Its purpose is to ensure public patients are compensated if they suffer harm, rather than protect you or your professional interests.

However, it does not extend to assistance for:

• internal complaints and disciplinaries related to your clinical practice
• inquests
• Medical Council investigations
• criminal allegations arising from the provision of clinical care.

As a Medical Protection member you would however be entitled to request assistance in these circumstances.

We can also help members by advising them on how best to protect themselves in their professional practice, assisting in preparing and checking reports for the State Attorney and providing assistance with media relations to help protect their reputation.

Additional benefits include, but are not limited to, free communication skills and risk management workshops, verifiable CPD, emergency medicolegal advice available 24/7, and support and assistance for Good Samaritan acts.

Read our article to find out why discretionary indemnity and the flexibility it offers is important.

Membership offers support with complaints, disciplinary proceedings, inquests and criminal investigations arising from clinical practice, 24/7 medicolegal advice, risk prevention CPD and more. Find out more about your benefits.