Medical Expert – Register
Before you register
Before submitting an application with MedCo, you must be registered with an appropriate professional body – i.e. the GMC or HCPC. If you are registered with the GMC you must hold a valid licence to practice.
You must also be registered, in your own right, with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and provide a valid ICO number which we will verify with the ICO register of fee payers. If you do not have an ICO registration, you can find out how to register on the ICO website www.ico.org.uk
All Direct Medical Expert applications are processed on the basis that it is an application to receive and accept work from represented claimants; ie selections and subsequent formal instructions are received from solicitors and other such legal representatives.
Official Injury Claims – On completion of a successful registration to receive and accept work from represented claimants, operational Direct Medical Experts may choose to apply to opt-in to receive and accept work from unrepresented claimants via the Official Injury Claims service. For more information about what this means read our update. Read more…
Please also consider the steps below before submitting an application to register.
Step 1: Decide whether to register as a Direct or Indirect Medical Expert
Direct Medical Expert Registration: (DME)
A Direct Medical Expert (DME) is an expert who appears in a MedCo search and is willing to take direct instruction from a claimant representative or other Authorised User such as an insurer. A DME may also receive work via a Medical Reporting Organisation (MRO). These experts are required to pay a fee in line with the MedCo Charging Policy (see step 5 below) and are obligated to upload anonymised case data following an examination within set time periods.
Indirect Medical Expert Registration: (IME)
An Indirect Medical Expert (IME) is an expert who only produces medical legal reports via instructions from a MRO. Fees may be charged (see step 5 below) however the obligation to upload anonymised case data following an examination lies with the MRO.
Please note: if you register as a DME you are able to also work for MROs without the need to also register as an IME.
Read more about the differences and the obligations of a DME and IME.
Step 2: Read the User Agreements
All medical experts are required to click to accept a Pre-operational User Agreement. This agreement sets out the experts and MedCo’s obligations for the nine month time period set to complete the accreditation training. Once the accreditation training and MedCo due diligence checks have been completed experts are required to click to accept either the full Direct or Indirect Medical Expert User Agreement, according to their registration type.
A full User Agreement must be accepted within two months of the notification by MedCo that an application has been approved. Failure to do so will mean the application is rejected and you will need to start the registration and accreditation training again.
Pre-operational User Agreement
Step 3: Understand Accreditation and Continuous Professional Development
To become operational a medical expert must complete the initial online accreditation training and thereafter commit to completing Continuous Professional Development (CPD).
Read all about what is involved to become accredited and complete CPD.
Step 4: Understand the Requirements to Declare Direct Financial Links
All medical expert users of MedCo must declare any direct financial links they have that meet the Ministry of Justice statement on direct financial links.
Read the full statement and definition on Direct Financial Links
Step 5: Read the MedCo Charging Policy
The fees that apply to registration are dependent on whether you register as a Direct Medical Expert or Indirect Medical Expert.
Step 6: Submit an application to register
Having read and understood the options and the steps above use the links below to register
