change. We believe it is important for the GDC to take forward as many proposals as possible without legislation, given the amount of legislative time which will inevitably be diverted to Brexit. “It is equally important that the GDC


takes the relevant stakeholders with them to develop momentum in implementation and to make sure that detailed processes and procedures match the scale of ambition.”


Review of gross negligence manslaughter


MDDUS has welcomed the announcement by Jeremy Hunt that there will be an urgent review of gross negligence manslaughter in healthcare in light of the High Court case involving Dr Hadiza Bawa-Garba. The review, led by Professor Sir Norman


Williams, will report back by the end of April 2018 and intends to look at lessons to be learned by the GMC and other professional regulators, as well as how reflective practice, openness and transparency can be protected so that mistakes are not covered up but recognised as learning opportunities. It is also intended that the review will


provide much-needed clarity to doctors about where they stand with respect to criminal liability and professional misconduct. MDDUS joint head of medical division Dr


John Holden said: “We are pleased to note the priority this important issue is being given by the government and welcome the opportunity to participate in the forthcoming rapid review. “It is vital that doctors experience an open and honest working environment and that they are able to learn from mistakes. We fully support any steps to encourage a learning culture that protects both patients and doctors.”


Progress on fixed recoverable costs plans


THE Department of Health and Social Care has published a summary of the responses to its consultation on introducing fixed


recoverable costs in lower value clinical negligence claims. MDDUS chief executive Chris Kenny commented: “We are relieved to finally see progress on this important project, given that the Department had committed to having a fixed recoverable costs (FRC) scheme in operation by October 2016. “We are pleased to see that the Department


remains committed to delivering a FRC scheme and that the proposed working group is intended to publish recommendations by autumn 2018. Timescales on this cannot be allowed to slip further and we hope for a speedy implementation by the Government thereafter. “FRC in clinical negligence cases is vital to halt the runaway increase in claimant costs and to protect resources for the delivery of frontline NHS care. The Department’s report fairly recognises the impact of excessive costs on claims in primary care and the savings that could be generated in primary care by the introduction of FRC. “In order to have a real impact in terms of


reducing the burden on the public purse, FRC is but one aspect of the necessary package of tort reform measures. “Finally, we remain of the view that a cap of


£250,000 is both necessary and proportionate. The report also shows that the arguments in favour of a cap in excess of £25,000 have been well made. We look forward to discussing these points in more detail as part of the working group.”


Manage your MDDUS membership online


MEMBERS can now access a secure online portal allowing you to “manage your membership” – including the ability to download and print membership certificates, copies of renewal notices and online CPD, and also change your address and other personal details. Over the coming months additional


features will become available, enabling you to make changes to your subscription banding and payment details. We encourage all members to register at the Log in prompt at www.mddus.com.


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HOSPITAL DOCTOR RISK TRAINING Join MDDUS at an interactive training day to explore common risks facing hospital doctors in areas such as consent, confidentiality and GMC compliance. Anonymised case studies will be used to highlight risks and explore how practice can be improved. London: 10 April 2018 and Glasgow: 15 August 2018. Contact risk@mddus.com.


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GDPR FOR GP AND DENTAL PRACTICES Check out a new topic area sited within our popular GP toolbox, with resources to help you prepare for introduction of the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). These include a checklist, guidance sheets and helpful articles on data compliance. Go to the Training & CPD section at mddus.com. Member login required.


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RISK BITES: MDDUS PODCASTS Want to learn how good record keeping can help you navigate a complaint, significant event review, negligence claim or GMC investigation? Tune in to the MDDUS Risk Bites podcast series. Each episode looks at how two different practices handle the case of a patient with breast cancer. Find them in the Resources section of mddus.com.


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LEADING THROUGH UNCERTAINTY Calling on doctors with management responsibilities. Book now for this popular training course being held in Glasgow on 10-14 Sept and earn CPD points from the RCP. Contact risk@mddus.com to book a place.


MDDUS INSIGHT / 5


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