Medical Indemnity Register (MIR)
Founded in 1990, for more than 30 years the Medical Indemnity Register (MIR) has enabled medical professionals and therapists from all disciplines to feel confident about helping people in need whatever the circumstances.
In a workplace environment, any doctor, nurse, therapist or even dentist is ordinarily covered against malpractice by their employer’s medical indemnity insurance – as long as they are working in a professional capacity. However, care given in a non-professional capacity, such as that given for an unrelated medical emergency occurring in the place of work, or outside of work, may not necessarily be covered. For example, if you were to give emergency first aid outside of work you may not be covered and if something went wrong, you could be sued.
Medical Malpractice Insurance For Every Health Professional
We deal with individuals, companies, insurance brokers, intermediaries, first aiders, and more, and are experts in both medical and insurance matters. We are also approved and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA).
Medical malpractice insurance services we provide can be split into three categories. Good Samaritan acts, Non-Samaritan acts and Employer liability insurance.
Our aim is to provide medical practitioners in all fields the peace of mind to allow them to help people in whatever way they can. When they’re using their own specialist skills, they should be able to work without the fear of costly litigation. Our cost-effective insurance provides protection against medical indemnity that applies to all medical care given by a health professional, whether they are working in a professional capacity or otherwise, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Medical Malpractice Insurance Frequently Asked Questions
Medical indemnity insurance is incredibly important for medical practitioners because it serves to protect them should a member of the public make a claim for negligence or breach of medical duties.
Also known as medical malpractice insurance, medical indemnity can be taken out by any individual who works within medicine. Full-time or part-time doctors, nurses, surgeons, specialists, anaesthetists, pharmacologists, psychiatrists and even medical students can all protect their finances and professional reputation by taking out a medical professional indemnity insurance policy.
The importance of this specialist insurance lies within its ability to discourage so-called defensive medicine, where doctors and other medics find themselves basing their decisions upon the route that feels less likely to lead to litigation. Amid our current “claim culture”, individuals working in the medical field can feel under far less stress if they understand and feel fully supported by their medical indemnity insurance.
Who needs to take out medical indemnity insurance?
To practice medicine or to carry out any medical procedure in the UK, you must hold medical indemnity insurance. However, it’s not only medical practitioners who benefit from this type of insurance. Policies can also be taken out by healthcare organisations such as surgeries and medical centres, ambulance services, daycare centres, scanning facilities, cosmetic procedure clinics, fertility clinics and nursing homes.
It can also be accessed by associated medical practitioners, including counsellors, medical and nursing agencies, carers, first aiders and a number of complementary health practitioners.
What does medical professional indemnity insurance for individuals cover?
A medical indemnity policy protects you against claims made for omissions or acts in the course of duty, such as:
- Clinical negligence
- Negligence of a patient
- Physical injury
- Mental injury
- Misdiagnosis
- Incorrect treatments
- Failure to diagnosis
- Delayed referral
- Surgical errors
- Prescription errors
- Failure to provide a clean or sterile environment
- Other professional accusations, such as sexual harassment
When such a claim is made against you, a lengthy legal process can ensue in order to let you refute these claims. An expensive endeavour, having medical indemnity insurance offers medical practitioners the peace of mind that they can defend their reputation. This cover will also ensure that you aren’t left liable for any payments found in the claimant’s favour.
To offer this protection, your medical indemnity insurance for individuals is usually composed of a range of covers, including:
- Professional indemnity
- Reputational harm
- GMC/ GDC investigations
- Breach of confidentiality
- Inquest costs
- Good Samaritan acts
- Libel and slander
- Personal accident
What does medical indemnity for organisations cover?
In addition to the types of cover discussed above, a tailored policy for professional organisations can also include:
- Public liability – which protects you should a member of the public become injured or their property damaged during their time at your organisation or under one of your employee’s care.
- Employers’ liability – a legal requirement in the UK if your organisation employs staff.
- Product liability – which covers you against injury or personal property claims attributable to a product you have supplied someone. Product liability cover offers protection even if the issue arises outside your premises.
- Business interruption – to guard against any losses incurred should you be unable to run your organisation as usual. This can come into play if you encounter the likes of property damage, making your premises unusable.
- Loss of revenue – to offer you financial stability should your health organisation find itself experiencing a loss of revenue due to an inability to operate thanks to unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances.
- Legal expenses – to allow your organisation to defend itself against claims.
- Property damage – an incredibly important cover as this protects your premises against a range of damages, including fire, water or storm damage, vandalism, impact, explosions and even accidental damage.
- Fleet cover – something which an organisation that relies on multiple vehicles, such as an ambulance service, would benefit from.
- Cyber insurance – with so much medical data now being stored on computer systems and online scheduling and booking systems becoming the norm, this cover offers vital protection. Medical data breaches can represent a significant legal issue, so it’s crucial to include cover for this.
Do you need professional indemnity insurance for doctors if you work for the NHS?
Whether you work for the NHS or in private practice, there are statutory medical indemnity requirements which you must meet.
The NHS provides cover for clinical negligence for all its employees. Does this mean NHS medical professionals don’t need to hold their own medical indemnity insurance? Not necessarily. The indemnity offered by the NHS only covers the individual for work they carry out within their NHS role. Any type of medical work outside their contractual role will not be covered.
Doctors working privately will either need to secure their own sufficient medical indemnity cover, or their organisation may offer a policy for work carried out on their behalf. Again, the medical professional must fully understand exactly what their work policy covers, as it may not protect them for medical acts out with their contracted work duties.
Taking out medical indemnity insurance from a trusted company such as Park Insurance will ensure that you meet the requirements set out by the General Medical Council, allowing you to work safely and legally. It gives medics the freedom to offer their skills in a variety of situations, ensuring they’re not only covered during their scheduled work hours for an organisation.
It’s an excellent idea to contact your regulatory body to determine precisely what level of cover you require, wherever you work in the medical industry.
Can medical indemnity insurance cover work outside the workplace?
Yes, and this is of great help to medical professionals who not only wish to carry out activities such as clinical research and teaching but who want to feel protected should they offer passer-by assistance during a medical emergency.
What exclusions might I face with my insurance?
A medical indemnity policy usually will not cover claims made before the policy was taken out. You will not be able to make a claim for a historic accusation, and therefore it is imperative that medical professionals always hold medical indemnity cover. If you have a historic claim, the insurer who covered you at the time of the incident will handle the issue.
What happens once I stop practising medicine, but a claim is made against me?
You can ask to include a run-off cover in your medical indemnity policy. This means that even if you’ve stopped working in the medical field, you can still receive insurance support if a claim is made. This is particularly important because not only do patients have up to three years from the date they became aware of the alleged issue, but they also have a further three years from the date that they initiated their claim. Run-off cover is helpful for taking this extended period into consideration and reassures medics that once they’ve retired or moved out of clinical practice, they will still be financially supported if a claim is raised.
Always discuss with the insurer what their run-off period is. Typically, this will be three years, but you may wish to negotiate the time frame.
What’s the difference between medical indemnity and professional indemnity?
Both offer medical professionals protection against claims made for negligence, but medical indemnity also deals with claims pertaining to injury or illness attributable to a medic’s actions. For this reason, professional indemnity alone isn’t sufficient for medical professionals working with members of the public.
Can you change providers for medical indemnity insurance?
Yes! There are no legal or statutory points that prevent you from changing insurance providers for your medical indemnity. Whether you’re looking for a more competitive quote or feel you’ll get more comprehensive, bespoke cover from a different insurer, your work will remain protected as long as you leave no gap between your policies.
Make sure you know where you stand in terms of exclusions and run-off cover with your existing policy before you make the switch to a new insurer. Will you still be fully covered for claims which would be made several years down the line?
An experienced insurance provider, Park Insurance excels in creating tailor-made insurance policies. Contact one of our friendly experts if you’d like to discuss your medical indemnity needs. They will advise you on how best to protect your work, finances and reputation through a competitive policy, allowing you to thrive at work, knowing you’re in safe hands.