MDDUS membership rises by a third
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- Published: Thursday, 18 April 2019 07:45
- Written by News Editor
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Dental membership in England, Wales and Northern Ireland rose by almost a third during 2018 as dentists put their faith in MDDUS’ gold standard indemnity. Total dental membership in England, Wales and Northern Ireland has doubled since 2015 while in England alone there was a 41.5% increase in 2018. Market share in Scotland stands at approximately 70% and is now above 20% elsewhere in the UK and growing fast.
MDDUS Head of Dental Division Aubrey Craig believes the sustained growth is built on a firm commitment to quality and an indemnity model that provides comprehensive protection. He said: “Increasing numbers of dentists are putting their trust in our professionalism, responsiveness and value in an increasingly tough environment where claims and GDC referrals continue to rise.
“MDDUS provides more than indemnity cover for claims in negligence. We believe what we offer is the gold standard, with personal service from a team of very experienced dental and legal advisers providing dentists with lifetime peace of mind that timely, reassuring help is at hand should they find themselves in professional difficulty.
“We believe that members benefit by having their case managed by the same team of expert advisers however the case evolves, rather than being passed from one to another and on again as a complaint changes to a claim to a GDC case or an inquest/fatal accident inquiry. We offer breadth and depth of experience in defending members successfully before the GDC and in negligence claims. We use discretion positively to provide assistance and meet claims that an insurer might very well turn down.
“It is imperative that patients have access to redress when things go wrong. Our occurrence-based indemnity has no time limit or cost cap on liability. This means that we can help members for any claim that arises, even if they have moved abroad, ceased clinical work, retired or are deceased when the claim or complaint arises. This has to be the safer option – for professionals and patients alike.
“Alternative commercial insurance products are becoming more widely available and it is increasingly difficult for dentists to access accurate information about the pros and cons of each product type. MDDUS is a mutual membership organisation. Unlike insurers, we’re not in it for the profit, we have no small print to hide behind and we provide greater protection than the commercial alternatives available.
“Typically with a claims-made product, the risk is transferred to the insurer one year at a time, until the dentist retires. If they simply want to change back to a traditional indemnity provider, they will either have to buy ‘run-off’ cover or take on the risk of any unknown claim personally. The benefit of our product is that the risk is transferred to us permanently. No run-off cover is necessary, giving members a lifetime peace of mind.”
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