GP indemnity fees ‘out of control’, Pulse reports

A Pulse survey has found GP indemnity costs to have increased by 26 per cent, suggesting the fees have spiralled ‘out of control’.

The survey analysed the responses of over 900 UK GPs and found that indemnity fees had risen by an average of 26 per cent over the past year. However, Pulse claimed the increase is likely to be even higher than calculated, since large numbers of GPs had said their fees had decreased because they were forced to reduce the number of shifts they worked.

Over one in ten respondents said their fees had more than doubled, with a quarter of GPs maintaining hikes of over 40 per cent in the last year.

However, medical defence organisations (MDO) have claimed the figures were not representative and that they had witnessed rises of around 10 per cent.

The Medical Defence Union (MDU) has also disputed the survey findings, insisting that average member subscription increases were lower at around 10 per cent per year.

An MDU spokesperson said: “Long term, GP claim inflation has been running at over 10 per cent year on year. Inevitably, this affects the subscriptions we need to collect to ensure our members’ peace of mind. Average subscription increases for our members reflect these trends rather than the figures of the survey.”

However, Dr Zishan Syed, a GP partner in West Kent said his indemnity costs have increased by 60 per cent in the past 12 months and said the MDOs needed to do more to challenge individuals who engage in campaigns of vexatious complaints against clinicians.

Syed added: “Furthermore, the fact that they pick and choose what case to defend can leave a GP who has paid year after year of fees in the lurch with no defence.”