Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of the introduction of a state-backed GP indemnity scheme in England on the medical defence organisation marketplace.

The Department is developing a state-backed indemnity scheme for general practice in England. This recognises that the rising cost of clinical negligence is a great source of concern for general practitioners (GPs). The state-backed scheme is being designed to provide more affordable and more stable cover for GPs.

We recognise the value of medical defence organisations to their members and we are working closely with them to understand the impact of the proposed scheme on their business.