The work of the MDU stretches beyond supporting members through professional challenges, complaints and claims.

We are also active in policy and decision-making, advocating change and campaigning for fairness to ensure our members' best interests are represented.

Members can now stay up-to-date about our campaigns and policy work on our website, where we highlight some of our most recent initiatives - including our work with regulatory bodies, our advice to government, how we respond to consultations and our ongoing campaigns.

We encouraged the GMC to reduce the length of time that doctors' FTP information is published online. As a result, in 2017 the GMC will adjust its approach and introduce time limits for disclosing FTP details - a change we believe will be significantly fairer for doctors who have undergone an FTP investigation.

We also supported the GMC's introduction of a provisional enquiry process to FTP procedures, so that cases unlikely to amount to impaired fitness to practice can be assessed and closed within a few weeks. Following a successful pilot in 2015, provisional enquiries have the potential to spare hundreds of doctors each year the stressful and debilitating effects of a full FTP investigation.

The MDU's policy work is a vital part of the way we support our members in their profession and practice. For more on what we're doing to make a positive change to the medico-legal environment, visit the MDU website.