A meeting has already been held with health minister Nichola Sturgeon in which different approaches to a non court based compensation scheme were discussed. Whilst different people mean different things by the term 'no-fault compensation' there is general agreement that there must be a better way of compensating patients and learning lessons to improve safety than relying on legal action. This is even more the case in Scotland than it is in England & Wales. We believe that the key ingredients of any such scheme are that the compensation is based on actual loss - not arbitrary limits, and that patients/families are empowered in the process through independent legal advice and clinical opinion. AvMA are in the process of compiling its submission and would welcome suggestions from supporters. The consultation can be accessed at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/09/22091148/2. The deadline for submissions is January 16th 2009.