Further clarity.
Medical indemnity is nuanced. Below are answers to the questions we’re most often asked.
We’ve focused on what’s most relevant, but every consultant’s situation is different, so the detail matters.
If something isn’t covered, or you’d prefer to talk it through, just get in touch. We’ll explain it clearly and work through what’s relevant to you.
No jargon. No assumptions. Just straightforward answers, when you need them.
Indemnity requirements.
If you are providing any Private Practice services or Medico-Legal reporting then the GMC requires you to have the relevant medical indemnity in place. Please see the GMC website for further details.
Yes. The policies offered through Primus meet the requirements and are in use at all of the major private hospital groups in the UK.
The standard limit of indemnity is £10,000,000 as specified by all major hospital groups. Other limits of indemnity are available upon request.
Indicative premiums, quotations and renewal quotations.
Obtaining a full quotation can take time in terms of completing the relevant application form. Completing the Indicative Premium Grid takes two minutes and allows us to identify the best insurer for you, providing you with an indication of the premium and the saving available. You can then invest your time in completing a single application form, knowing that it will be time well spent.
Indicative premiums and quotations can be turned round in a matter of hours if urgent. The normal timeframes are approximately 24 hours for indicative premiums and 48 hours for full quotations.
The underwriters used by Primus don’t quote based on earnings bands. They look to understand you as a consultant, the work you do and, more importantly, the work you don’t do, along with your claims history and experience. By taking the time to fully review your profile, it allows them to provide a quotation that is specifically for you. Clients average savings of 25.3% over the past 3 years when moving to Primus.
Predicting your premium for next year is difficult due to the ever-changing medical indemnity market and also the changing profile of consultants. However, any increases do tend to be in line with earnings / procedure increases and having achieved a renewal rate of over 96.9%, we believe the renewal terms offered continue to be competitive and offer good value to our clients
Policy details.
The policies offered by our panel of insurers are the strongest in the market, with further details of the cover available on our Policies page. Having reviewed your information with our panel of insurers, when we present the most competitive premium to you we will include all details relating to the policy and full policy wordings.
Primus only offers cover on a contractual Claims Made basis, as we believe this to be the strongest way to protect our clients. Further details of how Claims Made policies provide cover can be found on the Switch To Primus page.
Cover can be included for limited companies at no extra cost, providing the company is set up for fiscal reasons and no other healthcare practitioners are involved. If the company is not set up for fiscal reasons, cover can be provided but there may be a charge for this.
Cover can be provided for treatment of professional athletes, with the exception of footballers playing in the English Premier League.
Yes, you receive worldwide coverage for Good Samaritan acts with all of the policies offered.
The standard jurisdiction for the policies provided is United Kingdom, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. International coverage can be provided in respect of charity work and other private work, but this should be highlighted when applying for cover as charges may apply.
Changing providers and retirement.
We hope that the strongest policies, most competitive premiums and our personal service means you will want to remain with Primus, but should you decide you wish to leave, there is nothing stopping you. With retroactive cover available from all indemnity providers, you could switch to any of them and still have seamless cover.
When you retire, the “run-off” or “tail cover” element of the policy as it is sometimes known would become active, ensuring that you are covered for a minimum of 21 years for any new claims that arise. Further details of this are available on the Switch to Primus page.
Making payment.
When making payment for their medical indemnity, consultants have the option to pay either by bank transfer or by a finance agreement. The finance agreement spreads payment over 10 months and is subject to a 4% charge.
Payment can be made anytime up to 14 days after the policy has been incepted.