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Your first years as a doctor are likely to hold some of the most memorable and challenging experiences of your life. If you face a dilemma you can call us and speak to a medico-legal adviser.
As well as providing support for your professional development, we can help with many types of medico-legal issues including, disciplinary matters relating to your clinical care, responding to complaints and attendance at inquests.
If these situations happen it can be very distressing and seeking advice and support is essential. The MDU offers exactly this to our members.
99% of members who call our 24-hour advice line are connected to an adviser within 20 seconds.
Over the last five years we've helped over 52,000 members with complaints and professional matters.
We help members overcome challenges that threaten their livelihood. During 2022, we successfully closed 82% of medical claims without making a compensation payment to patients.
The MDU is here for you, no matter what challenges you face throughout your career.
Find out how we supported an FY2 member when she was invited to attend a coroner's inquest.
Indemnity for work not covered by NHS indemnity, including Good Samaritan acts.
Access to our 24-hour medico-legal advice line, staffed by doctors with experience of the challenges you face.
Support and representation for a range of medico-legal issues, including complaints to the GMC, disciplinary hearings and criminal investigations arising from your clinical practice.
Access to advice and cautionary tales in the MDU journal and via the MDU app.
Support for your professional development including seminars, courses and e-learning, webinars, podcasts and videos.
Gifts when joining for FY1 and FY2 when you pay your subscription by annual Direct Debit.
Help in the event of unwanted media attention.
FY1 membership is £10* and if you plan to qualify in the next 13 months you can apply now and receive a free gift, choose from either:
*Valid 1 April 2023 - 31 March 2024
There's no denying it's been an incredibly tough year. That's why we're working with the Royal Medical Benevolent Fund (RMBF), a UK charity that provides advice and support to doctors and medical students in serious hardship.
Join the MDU for your first foundation year and £5 from your £10 FY1 subscription will be donated to RMBF.*
Refer a friend and not only will they benefit from the guidance of the UK's leading medical defence organisation, they will also help raise money for this much-needed service. Please share this message with fellow students.
*Valid for FY1 applications received in 2023 for 2023 and 2024 qualifiers.
FY2 membership is £20* and if you pay by annual Direct Debit you can pick either:
Renewal offer terms and conditions
Click here if you work solely in Scotland.
Simply fill out our foundation doctor application form.
On hand to support you throughout your career and answer your membership questions.
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The MDU is a support service I wouldn't think twice about getting when you start as an F1. There have been some difficult situations where the 24/7 support has honestly been a saviour and a port of call for sound advice. If there's any subscription to get, it's MDU - they'll protect you throughout your career”
Members said...
The GMC requires you, as a doctor, to have adequate indemnity in place so that your patients will not be disadvantaged if they make a claim about the clinical care you’ve provided. Doctors need to be indemnified for claims at all times including for work done in the past whether working privately or within the NHS.
The benefits we provide to foundation doctors are on an occurrence basis, which means you can ask for our assistance as long as you are, or were, a member at the time the incident happened. This applies if you’re no longer a member or have stopped practising.
If you work for an NHS body (or the HSC in Northern Ireland) the organisation you work for will have NHS indemnity via a clinical negligence scheme. You should have additional indemnity for clinical work which isn’t included in NHS indemnity, for example, providing medico-legal reports and signing cremation certificates.
MDU membership also provides access to support for many other medico-legal issues arising from clinical practice that are not covered by NHS indemnity, such as, attendance at inquests, complaints to the GMC, disciplinary matters related to clinical care, and help with unwanted media attention.