Yes. The new scheme will only cover GPs for work undertaken by NHS contracted medical services, so this means that medical indemnity cover will still be required for:

• Any private or fee-paying work undertaken
• GMC proceedings
• Patient complaints
• Coroners’ cases
• Criminal investigations
• Good Samaritan Acts
• Disciplinaries

Do GPs need run-off medical indemnity cover?

Yes. The state-backed scheme is not going to provide run-off cover and to ensure your GPs are fully protected, those with a claims-paid of claims-made indemnity policy will need to purchase cover separately themselves should they decide to move to the state-backed scheme.

Ensure your medical indemnity cover meets GMC regulations

Your GPs will need to ensure that when purchasing a medical indemnity policy on a reduced cover basis that they make themselves fully aware of the terms under which is it being offered, taking into consideration how they will cover themselves after the period of cover has expired and the cost of run-off cover.

It is essential GPs have the appropriate medical indemnity cover in line with the GMC professional regulatory requirements to enable them to practice.

New Medical Indemnity Plus insurance from Towergate

In response to the limitations of the state-backed medical indemnity insurance policy, we are launching Medical Indemnity Plus, which will provide claims-made protection for your GPs with cover for:

• Professional duties whilst attending a Good Samaritan Act
• Legal expenses

For more details of what is covered by our medical indemnity insurance and the exclusions, please call our specialist advisers on 0330 123 5140 who will be happy to help you.

About the author

Carolyn Baker-Mellor is a respected industry leader with over 35 years' experience within the care insurance sector. She works across a wide spectrum of insurance product and policy development, delivery and optimisation for care industry clients, including managing global corporate accounts, working closely with trade associations, and helping clients in protecting their businesses and personal assets. Her areas of expertise within the sector include care homes, nurseries, domiciliary care, hospices and charities.

Carolyn currently works at Towergate as Head of Care Insurance. Towergate is the UK’s leading independent insurance broking platform and forms part of the Ardonagh Group, an international network of over 100 offices and 7,000 people which incorporates leading brands in both Lloyd’s of London and global markets.

She previously worked for 10 years at Aon as a director, client services leader and assistant director for claims.