Medical Malpractice Insurance

Doctors, dentists, nurses, aesthetic practitioners, therapists, complementary therapists, home care workers and wellness practitioners all operate in settings where the outcomes are not always predictable. You may need medical indemnity insurance if your work involves providing care that may affect a patient’s physical or psychological well-being, because the policy supports you in case the patient questions the care they received.

It’s not just for your peace of mind. Proof of cover may also be requested by regulators, professional bodies, hospitals, or partner clinics.

Our medical malpractice insurance for medical and other healthcare professionals is already included in our combined solution that also covers professional indemnity and public liability. This means you do not have to arrange separate policies.

Medical malpractice cover provides support when a patient makes a claim alleging that there was clinical negligence or a mistake in treatment. Such claims can arise from such issues as using the wrong technique, not obtaining proper consent, missing details in a patient's medical history, not following standard clinical protocols, or failing to monitor patients properly.

The cost of such claims is typically not limited to compensation alone. You might face other expenses, such as legal defence, expert medical reports, and settlement negotiations. Our malpractice insurance can cover these costs as well.

We offer medical malpractice insurance in the UK in a combined policy that also comes with professional indemnity and public liability protection. It aims to help you respond not only to treatment-related injury claims but also to claims associated with administrative errors and other non-clinical incidents.

Examples of medical malpractice claims

Here are some examples of medical malpractice claims that our combined business insurance can respond to:

• • - An aesthetic practitioner may inject a product incorrectly, leaving the patient with adverse results..
  • - A therapist may not review a patient’s complete medication history before treatment, which could lead to a severe allergic reaction.
  • - A clinician may fail to check test results in time, which causes a patient’s condition to worsen.

If patients make claims in situations like these, and they are found valid, medical malpractice insurance cover can provide compensation within the policy limits. It also assists with the costs of legal defence, expert medical evaluations, and reputation protection.

Medical malpractice insurance does not cover deliberate or criminal acts, treatment carried out without proper qualifications, services outside the scope of practice, or claims brought from outside the territorial or jurisdictional limits of the policy. It also does not cover prior or pending acts, bodily injury insurable elsewhere, clinical trials, your property or property in your care, product repair or replacement costs, claims arising from computer viruses, claims arising out of the manufacture of products, claims based upon insolvency, war, nuclear risks, pollutants, asbestos, intoxication, hepatitis, HIV or AIDS, abuse, and discrimination.

With Westminster Insurance, you get a combined insurance package, which means your policy can cover a wider range of claims, such as accidental injuries on your premises, breach of confidentiality, or administrative errors. Please check the policy wording for full details of what is and is not covered.

This short guide explains some of the key terms you’re likely to come across in a medical malpractice insurance policy:

• Medical malpractice insurance: An insurance policy that responds when a patient alleges they suffered a bodily injury, mental injury, illness, disease or death caused by any negligent act, error or omission committed by you in or about the conduct of your business. It can also be referred to as medical indemnity insurance.
• Clinical negligence: When care is alleged to have fallen below accepted standards and caused harm.
• Claims-made cover: A type of cover that provides protection for claims made while the policy is active, provided the incident that led to the claim occurred after the policy’s retroactive date.
• Retroactive date: The earliest date from which incidents leading to a claim can be covered under a claims-made policy, provided that the claim is made while the policy remains active.
• Run-off cover: Protection for claims made after you stop practising or close your business. These claims must, however, be related to the care that you provided in the past.
• Limit of indemnity: The maximum amount the insurer may pay for a covered claim, including compensation and legal costs.
• Aggregate limit: The total amount available to pay all claims during a single policy period.
• Excess: The part of a claim you are responsible for paying yourself.
• Territorial limits: The countries or regions where the policy provides cover.
• Jurisdiction: The legal system under which claims must be brought.
• Disciplinary proceedings cover: Support for legal costs linked to investigations by professional or regulatory bodies.
• Medico-legal helpline: A dedicated advice line that provides guidance on clinical decisions, legal matters, or regulatory concerns.

The medical malpractice insurance cost depends on the nature of your business. The main factors that influence the final premium are your area of practice, the risk level associated with procedures you perform, the number of individuals requiring cover, your business turnover, your claims history, and the level of cover you select.

Since we include medical malpractice insurance for medical and other healthcare professionals, therapists and many others in our combined business insurance policy, the price also takes into account professional indemnity and public liability risks.

Want to find out the potential medical malpractice insurance cost for your business? Fill in our online form to receive a custom quote.

How much medical malpractice insurance do I need?

When choosing the level of malpractice cover, you first need to understand your actual risks. Take into account the types of treatments you offer and what could happen in a worst-case scenario. Procedures with a greater likelihood of severe or lasting harm typically require a higher level of cover. Also, consider the average settlement amounts in your industry and any minimum limits set by regulators, professional bodies, hospitals, or partner clinics.

Importantly, our medical malpractice insurance is part of a combined policy that also includes professional indemnity and public liability. This means that your limit must be high enough to manage other potential liabilities as well.

You can arrange medical malpractice insurance online in minutes using our user-friendly platform. Follow these steps:

1. Answer a few questions about your work, including your field of practice, the treatments you provide, your location, turnover, any staff you employ, and any recent claims or incidents.
2. Receive a combined quote that already includes medical malpractice, professional indemnity, and public liability cover.
3. Review the suggested limits of cover, check the details, and make sure everything reflects how your business operates.
4. Once you’re satisfied with the conditions, pay online and receive your policy documents showing all three types of cover under one policy number and renewal date.

If you add new treatments, expand to new locations, or your turnover increases, you can adjust your policy online through your account. Alternatively, you can get in touch with us, and we will update your policy accordingly.