Anger over Medical Defence Union decision to stop consultant cover

THE latest decision by the British-based Medical Defence Union to stop providing secure cover for consultants in private practice drew an angry response from the Department of Health yesterday.

“It would have been more appropriate if they had come back to us and put it in a forum where it could be discussed,” a spokesperson for the department said.

The latest decision by the MDU means that around 600 consultants engaged in private practice will only be able to avail of discretionary cover, which means that cover is not guaranteed in a rapidly rising claims environment.