Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposal for a state-backed indemnity scheme for health care professionals.

The National Health Service (Clinical Negligence Scheme for General Practice) Regulations 2019 were laid in parliament on 25 February 2019 and come into force on 1 April 2019. The Regulations establish a scheme which provides indemnity cover for future clinical negligence liabilities of general practitioners, and others working in general practice in respect of services provided as part of the National Health Service in England.

The Department also intends to establish the arrangements for an existing liabilities scheme in April 2019, subject to satisfactory discussions with the Medical Defence Organisations.