Media Centre

Our Media Centre provides media handling support to members and is also the place for journalists to come to request interviews or commentary on key issues affecting dentists and other healthcare professionals.

The press office

Press support for members

If you find yourself in the media spotlight please get in touch and we can provide expert advice and support, including liaising with journalists and providing statements on your behalf.

Media scrutiny of you and your practice could put your personal and professional reputation at risk. Early advice can help mitigate risks and we can help you respond to the media and deal with them on your behalf.

Our Press Office is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you need advice or guidance on handling media enquiries, please contact a member of the Press Office 

Information for journalists

Our Press Office assists with media requests for information or commentary on the dentolegal and medicolegal, ethical and healthcare policy issues of the day.

Our spokespeople are experienced, authoritative and well placed to comment on issues that affect the practice of doctors and other healthcare professionals, and include registered dental and medical practitioners and those who hold legal qualifications.

We also issue press releases, designed to keep you informed of the public statements we make, including comment on emerging issues, policy and analysis of our data.

For urgent out of hours media support (between 5.30pm and 8.30am GMT) please call +44 113 243 6436

Press releases

Executive Director, John Tiernan, retires after more than 20 years at MPS


29 March 2016

John Tiernan, Executive Director of Member Engagement at MPS will retire in July 2016, after 23 years’ supporting doctors and dentists in dentolegal and medicolegal issues.

Prior to working at MPS John qualified in dentistry at Trinity College and spent 15 years in full time practice. He first joined MPS in 1993 and his career has spanned over numerous roles. Including Assistant Dental Director, Director of Educational Services and most recently Executive Director of Member Engagement for the MPS group, where he has been pivotal in changing MPS’s Education programme and helping over 10,000 members improve their interactions with patients.

John currently leads MPS’s Educational services, Communications and Commercial departments, with a team of over 130 staff, overseeing the delivery of world class support and education services’ for more than 300,000 members around the world.

John Tiernan, Executive Director of Member Engagement at MPS said:

“I have had the privilege of supporting our members in Ireland during my time at MPS. This has been particularly important in the past few years due to the deteriorating claims environment and the increased cost of clinical negligence. MPS has been pushing the government for legal reform to help address the associated rising costs that are becoming unaffordable for society, something I feel strongly about.

“Some of my proudest achievements include helping the HSE introduce the MPS ASSIST model into their Open Disclosure programme and establishing education as a core of what we do at MPS. I pioneered the MPS education department as I strongly believe in the preventative value of education in reducing the risks that arise from practice. When I joined we had 30 to 40 events per year; we now provide in excess of 1,000 worldwide.”

“In 2015 we delivered over 650 communication skills workshops to members worldwide. This was a key target that I was determined to fulfil, as many complaints arise from poor communication after an adverse outcome.

“It has been a great pleasure to have spent a significant part of my career supporting colleagues in Ireland; which is particularly special as I was born and educated there. In retirement I will continue to push for change to the Irish healthcare system to make it fairer for both healthcare professionals and patients alike.”

Simon Kayll, Chief Executive at MPS said: 

“John is well known amongst our members for his passion for education and commitment to supporting medical and dental members around the world. Perhaps what members are less aware of is the respect he commands among his colleagues and his drive for continuous improvement in the service we provide to our members. For more than 20 years John has been a respected leader, colleague, friend and mentor to many at MPS and he will be missed by us all.”

For further information, please contact Kim Watson, Media Relations Manager at MPS on 0207 399 1428 or [email protected]

ENDS

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