GENERAL MEDICAL COUNCIL

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GENERAL MEDICAL COUNCIL

• SHAILENDRA PUPPALA
• GP TRAINEE

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ROLE OF GMC

• The purpose of the General Medical Council (GMC)
  is to protect, promote and maintain the health
  and safety of the public by ensuring proper
  standards in the practice of medicine.
• The four main functions under the Medical Act
• keeping up-to-date registers of qualified doctors
  
• fostering good medical practice
• promoting high standards of medical education
• dealing firmly and fairly with doctors whose
  fitness to practise is in doubt.

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• The GMC is an independent body and represents a
  partnership between the public and the
  profession.
• The values are embodied in the publication Good
  Medical Practice, which underpins all the GMCs
  work.

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LEGAL STATUS OF GMC

• The General Medical Council (GMC) was established
  under the Medical Act of 1858.
• Also a registered charity (registration number
  1089278).
• The Council, has 35 members
• 19 doctors elected by the doctors on the register
  
• 14 members of the public appointed by the NHS
  Appointments Commission
• 2 academics appointed by educational bodies - the
  universities and medical royal colleges

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GOOD MEDICAL PRACTICE

• Good clinical care
• Providing a good standard of practice and care
• Decisions about access to medical care
• Treatment in emergencies
• Maintaining good medical practice
• Keeping up to date
• Maintaining your performance
• Teaching and training, appraising and assessing
• Making assessments and providing references
• Teaching and training

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• Relationships with patients
• Obtaining consent
• Respecting confidentiality
• Maintaining trust
• Good communication
• Ending professional relationships with patients
• Dealing with problems in professional practice
• Conduct or performance of colleagues
• Complaints and formal inquiries
• Indemnity insurance

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• Working with colleagues
• Treating colleagues fairly
• Working in teams
• Leading teams
• Arranging cover
• Taking up appointments
• Sharing information with colleagues
• Delegation and referral

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• Probity
• Providing information about your services
• Writing reports, giving evidence and signing
  documents
• Research
• Financial and commercial dealings
• Conflicts of interest
• Financial interests in hospitals, nursing homes
  and other medical organisations
• Health
• If your health may put patients at risk

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REFORMING THE GMC

• The reforms have three main elements
• Reducing the size of the Council .
• The new procedures .
• Reforming doctors registration procedures and
  introducing revalidation.

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MEDICAL DEFENCE UNION
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HISTORY OF MDU

• 1885Medical Defence Union established as the
  world's first defence organisation to defend the
  reputations of doctors.

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A first for the MDU

• 1st medical defence organisation in the world.
• 1st to introduce a 24-hour advisory help line.
• 1st to introduce specialist risk management
  services.
• 1st to introduce specialist in-house
  press-liaison to assist members.
• 1st to introduce an in-house legal team.
• 1st to introduce assistance with Good Samaritan
  Acts worldwide.
• 1st medical defence organisation to have a
  department dedicated to supporting members'
  interests with government and industry bodies.
• 1st to add the security of an insurance policy to
  the traditional discretionary benefits of a
  mutual.

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Professional Indemnity Policy

• The policy indemnifies members for up to 10
  million.
• MDU Services Ltd and Converium Insurance (UK)
  Ltd are both regulated by the Financial Services
  Authority who set very strict standards for the
  amount of funds companies need in reserve to
  ensure they meet all liabilities.

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Converium - the facts and figures

• Converium is the new name for the organisation
  previously referred to as Zurich Re or Zurich
  Reinsurance
• It was floated away from Zurich Financial
  Services in December 2001 as an independent
  company with the new name Converium
• It was the part of Zurich which originally worked
  with the MDU to establish the joint venture MDU
  Services Ltd in 2000
• It is one of the worlds leading reinsurance
  companies with net written premiums in 2003 of
  3.82 billion
• Has shareholder equity of over 2 billion and
  invested assets of over 7 billion.

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MDU SERVICES

• Advisory
• Claims
• Risk management
• Professional indemnity policy
• Training education
• Claims complaints analyses

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ADVISORY

• Medico-legal and ethical advice about issues
  arising from patient care such as confidentiality
  and consent .
• Assistance in dealing with complaints .
• Inquests .
• Adverse incident inquiries .
• Disciplinary proceedings .
• Proceedings of registration bodies like the GMC
  in respect of professional performance, conduct
  or health.
• Criminal investigations into clinical care that
  you have provided.

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CLAIMS

• The value of claims against doctors continues to
  rise and dealing with an allegation that a
  patient has been damaged by negligence is very
  distressing. The MDU gives the members support
  and reassurance throughout this whole process.
• The case will be handled by an experienced team
  including a doctor, a case handler and in some
  cases a solicitor.

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Risk management

• The risk management department is set up to help
  to identify, assess and seek to minimise risk in
  the practice.
• The team is made up of experienced doctors and
  healthcare professionals who understand the
  realities of clinical practice.

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Cover under the Professional Indemnity Policy

• The policy provides cover of up to 10 million
  for any legal liability to pay compensation,
  including claimants' legal and defence costs,
  arising out of a clinical negligence claim. Cover
  is for clinical services provided within the UK
  and for Good Samaritan acts provided worldwide.
• The Professional Indemnity Policy also provides
  overseas cover for training grades working in
  recognised supervised training positions in many
  countries of the world.

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Training and education

• Advisory and risk management publications
• MDU journals and newsletters
• Book discounts.
• Practice seminars
• Online risk assessment

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Claims complaints analyses

• The MDU maintains a database of all claims and
  complaints that have been notified to us. This
  allows us to identify trends and provide valuable
  risk management advice.

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 Benefits of membership

• Support from the UK's largest team of
  medico-legal advisers, 24 hours a day, 365 days a
  year .
• Specialist claims and legal teams with expertise
  in civil and criminal proceedings .
• The security of a Professional Indemnity Policy
  combined with the flexibility of discretionary
  support.
• Professional indemnity cover for Good Samaritan
  acts worldwide, including USA and Canada .
• 24-hour Press Office to help you deal with
  enquiries from the media .
• Cover for training grades working in recognised,
  supervised training positions in many countries
  of the world .
• Comprehensive education service including free
  Advisory publications and practice-based training
  .
• Dedicated Risk Management team .