Practical support for GPs taking parental leave
Taking parental leave is an important life moment. Your professional support should recognise that.
The Medical Defense Society GP Parental Leave Scheme provides eligible GP members with support towards the cost of maintaining their GMC registration while they are away from practice for qualifying parental leave.
What the scheme covers
The scheme can support eligible members who have taken:
Maternity leave
Paternity leave
Adoption leave
Shared parental leave
It is available to eligible Medical Defense Society GP members, including salaried GPs, locums and GP partners.
How it works
Support is calculated on a pro rata basis, using:
- The net GMC annual retention fee you paid; and the length of qualifying parental leave you took.
- If you already received a GMC discount or reduction, support is calculated using the net amount you actually paid.
- Approved support is applied to your Medical Defense Society account as a non transferable credit against future membership invoices.
- Any credit applied is non-cash transferable.
Retrospective applications
Eligible members may apply for parental leave taken within the previous 12 months, including leave taken before joining Medical Defense Society.
You must be a current Medical Defense Society GP member at the time of application.
What we may ask for
To assess your application, we may ask for evidence of:
- Your parental leave dates
- Your GMC fee payment
This may include employer confirmation, parental leave documentation, a MATB1 certificate, GMC payment confirmation, or appropriate evidence for locum or self employed doctors.
Why we created it
GPs taking parental leave may still need to maintain their GMC registration while stepping away from practice.
We believe that should be recognised.
This scheme reflects our commitment to providing medical defence that is supportive, personal and tailored to the realities of a GP’s professional and private life.
