• The MDU has long advocated changes which would speed up the stressful GMC investigation process for doctors, without compromising patient safety. We work tirelessly with the regulators on this issue and supported the GMC's introduction of a new provisional enquiry process which means cases that do not amount to fitness to practise impairment can be identified and closed within weeks.

• We are providing steadfast medico-legal representation and care for individual members when they need us most. I have previously mentioned that we successfully defended 80% of medical claims in 2015. However, I'm also delighted to note that our in-house lawyers achieved a finding of no impairment in more than 55% of GMC cases which resulted in a panel hearing in the last six years, compared to the GMC's four-year average of 23.6%. As much as these good results are important, members can also count on our lawyers and advisers to provide emotional support and wise counsel when they are experiencing the darkest moments of their careers.

• To help members understand their ethical and legal obligations, the MDU is always on the road, visiting hospitals and general practices throughout the UK. In the last year, we have delivered around 1,900 lectures and seminars about a variety of topics, including delivering bad news, telephone triage and child protection. We also answered more than 30,000 calls from members seeking one-to-one advice with a specific issue, helping to avert problems that might result in a complaint or claim.

• The relevance of our ongoing campaign to reform the civil litigation system is highlighted in this issue in our interview with Dr Paul Goldsmith. The Government's proposal to introduce fixed recoverable costs for clinical negligence claims up to £250,000 is welcome because claimants' legal costs are often grossly disproportionate, driving up claims inflation. However, the MDU will continue to make the case for fair compensation because we are all paying a heavy price for the current system.

Lean on us

Dr Christine Tomkins

Lean on us