§ Mr. Michael McNair-WilsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the salary of junior and senior doctors includes an element for subscriptions to professional medical defence bodies; and whether membership of a medical protection body is obligatory.
§ Mr. NewtonMembership of a professional defence organisation is, other than in exceptional circumstances, a contractual requirement for hospital doctors. Their salaries are determined on the advice of the independent Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration. In its 1987 report, the review body took account of the cost of subscriptions in making its recommendations. This year, the review body has recommended, and the Government have accepted, that in most cases a proportion of these costs should be directly reimbursed to practitioners.