Agency collapse prompts warning
29/11/08 BMA News - click to enlarge
Agency collapse prompts warning about legal work
DOCTORS SHOULD be cautious about taking on medico-legal work after the collapse of a reporting firm, the BMA has warned.
E-Reporting Group entered administration on November 18. Its subsidiaries, Medical Report Services and Remedy Matters, have been sold to Kuro Healthcare, a subsidiary of PMG (Premier Medical Group), which provides medical reports.
PMG said invoices for work submitted before 20 November would be in the hands of the administrator, KPMG. But anything beyond that dart should be invoiced to Kuro Healthcare and would be underwritten by PMG.
The BMA is advising members taking on medi co-legal work to read its draft terms and conditions at www.bma.org.uk/ap.nst/Content/ExpertWitnessTCs.
Doctors can negotiate the terms of their contract and notes of any discussions should also be recorded.
The BMA also says doctors should consider seeking independent legal advice and if the contract is with an agency, conduct due diligence checks such as a report front a credit-rating agency.
If an agency collapses, doctors may not receive money they are owed. This could be prevented by asking clients for payment upfront.
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