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Can an individual GP join PRACTICECARE without the rest of the GPs in the practice?
A This product is only available on the basis that all GPs in the practice join PRACTICECARE. Handling practice-wide medico-legal issues and claims involving more than one person is simpler when all of the GPs in a practice are members of the same defence organisation, allowing us to offer low subscription rates for this form of membership.
What is the difference between occurrence and claims made benefits?
With occurrence benefits you pay an annual subscription which allows you to request assistance at any point in the future for a claim arising from an incident which happened in that membership year.
With claims made benefits your membership entitles you to request assistance for incidents notified to us or claims made and reported during that membership year only. In each case for incidents which occurred during your claims made membership. Once that membership year ends, you will need to renew your membership, or pay an additional subscription for the continuing right to request benefits such as reporting new matters arising from incidents that happened during a claims made membership year which have not already been reported.
When a PRACTICECARE membership year ends, what happens to incidents I have already notified to the MDU?
Once an incident which occurred during a period of PRACTICECARE membership has been notified to us, or you have requested assistance, or a claim has been notified while you are still in a period of PRACTICECARE membership, we can continue to assist you, whether or not your membership is renewed.
What happens if I retire from the practice?
If you retire permanently from the practice we can continue to assist you with GMC investigations, claims or other matters that arise from incidents which have already been notified to us. However, you, or the practice on your behalf, will need to apply for extended reporting rights, for the continuing right to seek the benefits of membership for new matters arising from incidents which occurred while you were in PRACTICECARE membership but which are notified after you left the practice.
As long as you have been a member of PRACTICECARE for seven years or more at the time you retire (and have reached the retirement age for your NHS pensions scheme), or if you are forced to retire through disability, you will not have to pay an additional subscription for extended reporting rights.
What happens if I leave the practice?
If you leave the practice we can continue to assist you with GMC investigations, claims or other matters that arise from incidents which have already been notified to us. However, you, or the practice on your behalf, will need to apply for extended reporting rights, for the continuing right to seek the benefits of membership for new matters arising from incidents which occurred while you were in PRACTICECARE membership but which are notified after you left the practice.
An additional subscription will be payable for extended reporting rights.
What happens if the practice decides to leave PRACTICECARE – how can I report claims in the future?
If the practice leaves PRACTICECARE, we can continue to assist you with GMC investigations, claims or other matters that arise from incidents which have already been notified to us. However, each GP who is a PRACTICECARE member, or the practice on their behalf, will need to pay an additional subscription for the continuing right to seek the benefits of membership ("extended reporting rights"), for new matters arising from incidents which occurred while you were in PRACTICECARE membership but which we are notified of after the practice leaves the PRACTICECARE scheme.
Does having claims made rather than the MDU's traditional occurrence-based benefits affect the service I can expect to receive as a member of the MDU?
No, your membership entitles you to the same market leading quality service that all of our members can expect from us.
What is the situation with new notifications I make for incidents arising from a period when I was previously a member of the MDU?
If you were an MDU member on an occurrence basis prior to taking up PRACTICECARE membership, you may continue to ask for benefits on an "occurrence basis" in respect of an incident which happened during such prior membership.
When can I purchase extended reporting rights?
You, or the practice on your behalf, must apply to purchase extended reporting rights before you leave the practice, or before the practice leaves PRACTICECARE.
In the event of your death, your executors will have 30 days to apply for extended reporting rights once confirmation has been granted.
How much will extended reporting rights cost?
A For members who retire permanently from the practice due to disability, or have been a PRACTICECARE member for seven years or more and have reached the retirement age for your NHS pension scheme, or for members who die, there is no additional subscription payable for extended reporting rights.
For members who leave the practice, retire from the practice having been a PRACTICECARE member for less than seven years, or where the practice as a whole leaves PRACTICECARE membership, an additional subscription for extended reporting rights will be payable.
The cost of extended reporting rights will depend on a number of factors including how long you have been in PRACTICECARE membership, your claims history, and the extent and nature of your work during these years. As a guide, it is unlikely that the cost will be more than three times the highest subscription you paid during your period of PRACTICECARE membership.
The granting of extended reporting rights rests at the discretion of the MDU Board of Management.
What happens if I want to take a career break, an elective abroad or an extended period of leave (e.g. parental leave)?
In order for you to continue to be able to request assistance after you have started your break the practice will need to continue to pay a subscription on your behalf, although this is likely to be at a much reduced rate as you will not be treating patients.
Why is the subscription so much lower than other organisations – will it suddenly rise once we are in the scheme?
The subscription is lower for several reasons.
What might the subscription for PRACTICECARE be in four years' time?
The subscription for PRACTICECARE will rise over time, as claims will be more likely to have been reported from early years by then. If the nature and extent of work done in the practice remains largely unchanged, you could expect the subscription in year four to be around 50% higher (before any inflation adjustment) than in year one.