The Medical Protection Society

MPS have agreed with NAASP to offer membership to registered NAASP members.

The annual subscription for this year is £205.

Join now at http://www.medicalprotection.org/uk/join

MPS operate a direct debit scheme and you can pay over 10 months at no extra charge. This rate is available to all NAASP members whether they are full time NHS, agency employed or work within the private sector. (MPS will check with NAASP that applicants are paid up members to ensure this remains a true member benefit).

MPS have vast experience not only in the field of litigation but also in complaint handling, ethical issues and risk management. MPS have agreed to share this experience with NAASP and to work with NAASP where possible to help improve standards in clinical practice.

For those members who may not be familiar with MPS, further details are provided below.

How to join MPS

An application form can be requested by calling MPS on 0845 718 7187 and telling the staff you are a NAASP member. Simply complete the form and post it back to MPS. Remember that if you take the direct debit payment option you can spread the cost over 10 months at no extra charge. The membership period normally begins the day after receipt of your application. A welcome pack including your membership certificate and a MPS members' handbook will be sent to you by return. Helpline staff will also be able to answer any queries you have about MPS membership in general.

What is MPS?

Contrary to popular belief MPS is not an insurance company. MPS does not exist to make profits. Indeed, the funds are owned by the members. We are a mutual association of healthcare professionals with a worldwide membership in excess of 200,000 and resources to match. MPS is perhaps best known for providing indemnity for medical negligence claims, but this accounts for only 25% of our work. We also assist with complaints and disciplinary procedures, professional body hearings, inquests and criminal cases arising from members' professional practice.

Why Should I Join a Protection Organisation?

All healthcare professionals need professional indemnity to protect them against the financial consequences of negligence. Although the majority of NAASP members will practise predominantly within the NHS many may be unaware that the government indemnity scheme is not all embracing. So if faced with a criminal charge arising from your hospital work - manslaughter or indecent assault, for example - an Advanced Practitioner, Surgical Care Practitioner or Advanced Scrub Practitioner relying solely on NHS indemnity may find him or herself unprotected. Similarly, it may be unlikely that assistance would be offered in dealing with disciplinary procedures by your registration body and employers.

Membership of a protection organisation gives you access to support in tribunals as diverse as hospital disciplinary inquiries, inquests and the criminal courts, and is also a source of everyday guidance and counsel when medico-legal and ethical quandaries arise. What do you do if a poor standard of care is unfairly blamed on you? How do you blow the whistle on an irresponsible or sick colleague of very senior status who may be jeapordising patient safety? Joining a protection organisation augments the limited protection afforded by NHS indemnity and, even in those situations where your trust or employer does support you, you can always seek independent advice from an organisation with your interests alone at heart.

However, it is important to recognise some of the things membership of MPS does not cover. In particular, we are unable to assist with any matters relating specifically to your contract of employment and your conditions of service. Assistance from MPS is limited to medico-legal problems relating to the delivery of patient care.

Why should I join MPS in particular?

As a Surgical Care Practitioner when you encounter legal or ethical difficulties you need:

To know you can get access to assistance no matter how much time has elapsed since the incident or mishap
Friendly, supportive and practical help from a fellow professional
The support of a reliable organisation whose primary aim is to provide quality advice and assistance to members in difficulty
The backing of an organisation that possesses the skills, experience and financial resources to resolve your problem effectively
Access to advice and support you can rely on to see you through legal and ethical dilemmas

Join now at http://www.medicalprotection.org/uk/join

What MPS Gives You

The reassurance of access to assistance no matter when a claim is made
Many claims or complaints are not made until years after the initial incident or mishap occurred. If you were a member of MPS at the time of the incident you can approach us for assistance no matter when the claim is made even if you have since cancelled your membership.