The Clinical Negligence Scheme for General Practice (CNSGP), introduced in April 2019, provided comprehensive indemnity for clinical negligence arising in NHS general practice relating to any incident which occurs on or AFTER 1st April 2019. We thought a round up of what you need to know about the CNSGP would be helpful.
- the CNSGP extends to all providers of NHS primary medical services (both in and out of hours) irrespective of whether the service is provided under a GMC, PMS or APMS contract.
- the CNSGP operates on an occurance-based basis which means that the scheme will respond to incidents even if you have retired from practice, are on a career break, maternity leave or sick leave when the claim is received.
- the CNSGP places you under an obligation to notify NHS Resolution about specified matters within specified time frames (see over for further details in the link).
And it is just as important to understand what the CNSGP does NOT do. For example, the CNSGP does not:
- extend to any incidents which occurred before 1 April 2019.
- extend to any incidents arising from non-NHS activities
- extend to any incidents arising from voluntary activities including Good Samaritan acts, Good Neighbour acts or overseas work.
- extend to the provision of assistance with inquests, complaints, GMC investigations, disciplinary explanations, investigations under the provisions of the NHS Performers List Regulations, employment and/or contractual disputes, criminal investigations and non-clinical liabilities (e.g., defamation. Further details can be found by following this link:
Do I need to retain membership of a Medical Defence Organisation (MDO) and/or have any other form of indemnity or insurance?
As the CNSGP will respond only to claims that fall within the scope of the scheme, you need to ensure that you have appropriate indemnity and/or insurance in place for the matters highlighted above that fall outside the scope of the scheme. You should therefore retain membership with your MDO or other equivalent indemnity/insurance provider.
How do I contact NHS Resolution?
If you require advice about a claim that falls in part or in full to the CNSGP, NHS Resolution can be contacted as follows:
Tel: 0800 0306798
Email: cnsgpnotification@resolution.nhs.uk
