MDDUS application form - explanatory notes

Please note that an application for membership cannot be submitted more than 60 days before the date from which membership is to commence.

GPs

• Out-of-hours. MDDUS classifies out-of-hours or extended hours sessions as work carried out for an out-of-hours provider or urgent care centre, between the hours of 8pm-8am and at weekends. This is in line with GMC guidance, which states that out-of-hours is classified as “Work carried out during anti-social hours”.
• GPs working outside NHS primary care setting. The MDDUS standard GP subscription will not include cover for GP work performed outside an NHS primary care setting, such as a private clinic, private travel clinic, private walk-in centre, forensic/police physician work or private sports medicine, including treatment of athletes and players.
• Botox and other non-permanent fillers. Please note a supplementary subscription may apply for those members providing such treatments.
• GP locums. MDDUS recognises that GP locums may be subject to a fluctuating work pattern if they do not hold a fixed contract. We therefore allow GP locums to average the number of sessions worked on a quarterly basis (13 weeks). For example, if a GP locum worked a total of 65 sessions over 13 weeks, this would equate to five sessions per week. Cover can be changed on a quarterly basis as required, to ensure adequate and appropriate indemnity is in place.
• Annual leave. Please note that those GPs with fixed contracts, such as GP partners or salaried GPs, should base their subscription on the number of weekly sessions they are contracted for. MDDUS does not permit the deduction of annual leave when calculating subscriptions.
• Discount Practice Scheme. MDDUS offers a discount for practices where at least 50 per cent of the GPs are in membership with MDDUS and the practice has signed up to an MDDUS Discount Practice Scheme. Further details, including an application form, are available at www.mddus.com.
• Sessions. MDDUS classifies a session as a half-day, which is normally a morning or an afternoon and should last no longer than five hours. Likewise, those working in the evening or overnight should classify sessions in blocks of five hours. For example, midnight to 8am should be classified as two sessions.
• Zero sessions. A rate exists for those GPs who may not be practising but remain as a partner in the practice. This provides discretionary cover for any professional liability as a partner, in the event of a professional claim against the entire partnership, for example a system error, even if the partner is not clinically active in the practice at that time. This membership grade is normally applied for by GP partners on sick leave, maternity/paternity leave or similar.
• First year GP rates. Please note a reduced subscription applies for those members taking up their first post in general practice after completing vocational training.
• Medico-legal report writing. Please note separate rates exist for those members involved in expert report writing.

NHS hospital doctors performing private practice

• NHS substantive contract. Applicants who work as private specialists or consultants are usually expected to hold, or to have recently held, a substantive NHS consultant post in the same specialty.
• Private practice earnings. In order to determine correct individual subscription rates, members must estimate their gross earnings from private practice for the coming subscription year. Members should monitor gross private earnings as their subscription year progresses and should notify MDDUS if significant variance appears likely. Gross earnings include, but are not limited to fees, salaries, bonus payments and dividends before the deduction of any expenditure. MDDUS reserves the right at any time to require evidence relating to private practice earnings and carries out periodic audits of members' private practice earnings or verification of sessions worked. Falsifying or failing to provide full details of private practice earnings may affect the benefits of membership or result in the withdrawal of indemnity or the services provided by MDDUS.
• Company earnings. The earnings figure you use to calculate the correct subscription level should be your gross private earnings from the practice of medicine, however delivered. In the event that you have formed a company for accounting or other purposes, the relevant figure is the gross income to that company in relation to your practice of medicine

GDPs

• Sessions. MDDUS classifies a session as a half-day, which is normally a morning or an afternoon and should last no longer than five hours. Those working different shift patterns should classify sessions in blocks of five hours.
• Botox and other non-permanent fillers. A supplementary subscription may apply for those members providing such treatments. Please note this cover is restricted to dentists who have been graduated for more than four years.
• Dental implants and/or sinus lifts. Please note separate subscription rates exist for those dentists placing dental implants and associated local bone harvesting/augmentation procedures and all aspects of intra-oral surgery including sinus lifts and sinus surgery.
• Zero sessions. A rate exists for those GDPs who may not be practising but remain as a partner in the practice. This provides discretionary cover for professional liability as a partner, in the event of a professional claim against the entire partnership, for example a system error, even the partner is not clinically active in the practice at that time. This cover is normally applied for GDP partners on sick leave, maternity/paternity leave or similar.
• Annual leave. Please note that those GDPs with fixed contracts, such as GDP partners, principals or salaried GDPs, should base their subscription on the number of weekly sessions they are contracted for. MDDUS does not permit the deduction of annual leave when calculating subscriptions.

Contact

Please contact Membership Services on 0333 043 0000 for further details on any of the matters above.