History of the DDU
Part of the first defence organisation
The DDU is the specialist dental division of the MDU which was established in 1885 following outrage in the medical community over the case of Dr David Bradley who was wrongly convicted of a charge of assaulting a woman in his surgery. Although the doctor later received a full pardon, he had suffered eight months in prison.
To reduce the risk of further incidents arising and to provide support to defend cases if they did occur, the Medical Defence Union was established under a 7 man executive committee, led by the first secretary Charles Rideal. The expansion and promotion of the organisation over the next few years followed under the leadership of the first president Mr Lawson Tait, an eminent surgeon of the day.
Key developments within the MDU's history
The following are the principal landmarks in the MDU's history:
| 1885: | Medical Defence Union established as the world's first defence organisation to defend the reputations of doctors. |
| 1924: | The extent of defence was extended beyond the coverage of legal fees to include indemnifying the doctor in full for any payment he may be required to pay to a patient in compensation. |
| 1948: | The MDU opens membership to dentists. |
| 1990: | Government introduces National Health Service Indemnity for doctors employed by Health Authorities or Trusts — the MDU continues to provide these members with advice and assistance on a wide range of medico-legal matters including disciplinary charges and complaints. |
| 1994 | The DDU is established as a separate division of the MDU to concentrate on providing more specialised support for dentists. |
| 1998: | The MDU concentrates its activities solely on UK and Eire to ensure its full resources are at the disposal of all future members. |
| 2000: | The MDU introduces the Professional Indemnity Policy* to enhance the commitment to its UK members. |
| 2000: | The MDU and DDU moves to new premises in Blackfriars Road, London. |
* Policy currently underwritten by SCOR Insurance (UK) Limited and by International Insurance Company of Hannover Limited. |
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A first for the MDU
We have always made the future of our members a priority. We have a history of being the first medical defence organisation to introduce innovations to improve our service to members:
| 1st | medical defence organisation in the world |
| 1st | to introduce a 24-hour advisory helpline |
| 1st | to introduce specialist risk management services |
| 1st | to introduce specialist in-house press-liaison to assist members |
| 1st | to introduce an in-house legal team |
| 1st | to introduce assistance with Good Samaritan Acts worldwide |
| 1st | medical defence organisation to have a department dedicated to supporting members' interests with government and industry bodies |
| 1st | to add the security of an insurance policy to the traditional discretionary benefits of a mutual |
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