Insurance 'needed' for mental health assessments
Domiciliary care insurance
12th November 2008
New legislation that came into effect earlier this month requires all health professionals carrying out mental health assessments to take out insurance.
According to the Medical Defence Union, the new rules will mean doctors relying on discretionary indemnity will not be allowed to carry out such assessments.
The assessments are required to judge whether or not someone with a possible mental disorder can give consent to being confined to a hospital or care home.
Dr Christine Tomkins, deputy chief executive of the MDU, said discretionary indemnity could be considered as adequate insurance.
"These regulations clearly state that those carrying out assessments of patients must be insured and satisfy the relevant supervisory body that this is the case," she said.
Legal and Medical reports that the General Medical Council is currently looking at what qualifies as adequate and appropriate indemnity arrangements.
Established in 1885, the MDU is a mutual, not for profit, organisation representing GPs, primary care professionals, hospital doctors, specialists, dental professionals and students.
