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Medical Defence Union
The Medical Defence Union (MDU) is one of three major medical defence organisations (MDOs) in the United Kingdom, offering professional medical indemnity for clinical negligence claims and advice provided by medico-legal experts for its members. It is a mutual not for profit organisation.
The MDU was established in 1885 and was the first of its kind in the world. As of January 2022[update] it has around 200,000 members: doctors, nurses, dentists and other healthcare professionals. The Dental Defence Union (DDU) is the specialist dental division of the MDU.
The Medical Defence Union was founded in 1885 following outrage in the medical community over the case of a Dr David Bradley who was wrongly convicted of a charge of assaulting a woman in his surgery. Dr Bradley spent eight months in prison before receiving a full pardon.
By late 1885, there was increasing recognition among the medical profession of the real risk doctors ran in their everyday practice and the poor resources at their disposal to defend themselves. The British Medical Association, for example, to which many of the profession belonged, was not permitted under its constitution to undertake individual medical defence.
In 1885, solicitors Mr Dauney and Mr Cridland, together with Mr Rideal, Mr Clements, Mr Leggatt, Mr Sinyanki and Mr Fitzgerald, signed a memorandum that established the aims and objectives of the newly registered company, the Medical Defence Union. They were the first executive board. The annual subscription cost for members was set at 10 shillings.
The MDU produces a member guide, to explain to members what they might expect:
The MDU produces three journals for members which are available on its website and in its member app – the MDU journal, the DDU journal and Student Notes.
The MDU is active in influencing the medico-legal climate on behalf of members. In 2012 the MDU launched its campaign calling on the government to make compensation for injured patients fair and affordable. The campaign was launched in response to spiralling medical negligence bills which have quadrupled in the last decade. According to former chief executive, Dr Christine Tomkins, compensation claims in England are among the highest in the world and the consequence of this on general practice and the wider NHS is catastrophic. MDU also campaigned for state-backed indemnity for GPs in England which was introduced in April 2019 and they have called for healthcare professionals to be exempt from litigation related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Medical Defence Union
The Medical Defence Union (MDU) is one of three major medical defence organisations (MDOs) in the United Kingdom, offering professional medical indemnity for clinical negligence claims and advice provided by medico-legal experts for its members. It is a mutual not for profit organisation.
The MDU was established in 1885 and was the first of its kind in the world. As of January 2022[update] it has around 200,000 members: doctors, nurses, dentists and other healthcare professionals. The Dental Defence Union (DDU) is the specialist dental division of the MDU.
The Medical Defence Union was founded in 1885 following outrage in the medical community over the case of a Dr David Bradley who was wrongly convicted of a charge of assaulting a woman in his surgery. Dr Bradley spent eight months in prison before receiving a full pardon.
By late 1885, there was increasing recognition among the medical profession of the real risk doctors ran in their everyday practice and the poor resources at their disposal to defend themselves. The British Medical Association, for example, to which many of the profession belonged, was not permitted under its constitution to undertake individual medical defence.
In 1885, solicitors Mr Dauney and Mr Cridland, together with Mr Rideal, Mr Clements, Mr Leggatt, Mr Sinyanki and Mr Fitzgerald, signed a memorandum that established the aims and objectives of the newly registered company, the Medical Defence Union. They were the first executive board. The annual subscription cost for members was set at 10 shillings.
The MDU produces a member guide, to explain to members what they might expect:
The MDU produces three journals for members which are available on its website and in its member app – the MDU journal, the DDU journal and Student Notes.
The MDU is active in influencing the medico-legal climate on behalf of members. In 2012 the MDU launched its campaign calling on the government to make compensation for injured patients fair and affordable. The campaign was launched in response to spiralling medical negligence bills which have quadrupled in the last decade. According to former chief executive, Dr Christine Tomkins, compensation claims in England are among the highest in the world and the consequence of this on general practice and the wider NHS is catastrophic. MDU also campaigned for state-backed indemnity for GPs in England which was introduced in April 2019 and they have called for healthcare professionals to be exempt from litigation related to the COVID-19 pandemic.