What do Locums need to know about insurance?

As a locum, it’s important to understand your insurance obligations. Knowing what is covered by your practice and what falls into your own responsibilities will help keep you protected.

Indemnity Insurance

Since April 2019, locum GPs are now covered for clinical negligence claims by the NHS state-backed indemnity. This gives you one less thing to worry about when it comes to protecting yourself. It is recommended that you continue to set your fees responsibly and reflect any changes in your expenses, experience and local need.

It is possible to add to the protection offered by state-backed indemnity with a complementary policy to cover yourself for fitness to practice, medicolegal advice, coroners court costs and criminal defence.

If you carry out any private work such as private medicals, private vaccinations and passport signings, you will need to consider your own indemnity policy.

Public Liability Insurance

While we can’t speak for the insurance of an individual practice, it is routine that if you’re covered under the practice’s Employee Liability Insurance than you would also be covered under the Public Liability Insurance. If you want to be sure, it is worth requesting a copy of the policy wording or having a clause in your agreement with the practice purtaining to Public and Employers liability.

Car insurance and medical equipment cover

If you’re engaged to visit patients outside of practice, you may need to use your own car to do so. Make sure your car insurance covers travel for “business use”. This is not always included as standard so it is worth checking with your provider.

As equipment provided by practices can vary, you may choose to carry your own medical equipment. Consider how you might replace this if it is lost, damaged or stolen. We can’t comment on an individual practice’s insurance policy, but as an alternative it’s worth seeing if your home insurance covers the above. Bear in mind the phrase “equipment for business use” normally refers to laptops, printers and other generic electrical items…But not medical devices.

If it doesn’t, we have a created a home insurance scheme that solves this issue. The policy is very clear – “includes medical equipment” – done and dusted.

Contract Disputes and Legal Expenses

These can and do happen.

When your working life is as much on your terms as the practice you’re working for, sometimes disputes arise, particularly where agencies are involved.

Sometimes these will have to go to court.

Cover for legal expenses is another crucial thing to look out for in your home insurance policy. We hope you never experience this, but if you do, and your home insurance doesn’t provide – please visit BMA Law –  legal services and advice, created for GPs.

If you have any questions about the issues raised in this article, please seek expert insurance advice. You can find out more about our services to gps at www.lloydwhyte.com/drs