Insurance considerations for physiotherapy

The practice of physiotherapy brings with it an element of risk of further harm or injury to the patient. The fact is, many patients will already have injuries or be ill when they seek support from physio, and carefully managing their treatment can be a complicated process. Equally, physiotherapy patients have a right to expect that the physiotherapist will have adequate insurance if they suffer an injury during treatment.

What is Physiotherapy Liability Insurance?

This type of insurance is available for both organizations and practitioners in various industries. Similar to other professions, liability insurance provides financial payouts for people who have been harmed due to poor practice or negligence by a physio. If you are a practicing physical therapist, you must have some form of insurance.

Public liability usually offers comprehensive protection against the cost of defending your business against charges of professional negligence. This includes the cost of defending your business if a person is injured or their property damaged, arising out of the conduct of your professional activity.

Do I Need Professional Indemnity Insurance?

If you are actively working as a physio, as part of your professional activities with your clients, you should have some form of insurance to cover you.

Typical work activities which may lead to public liability cases include:

Evaluating the therapeutic results and writing a report based on the patient’s status and progress

Making a plan of treatment and care processes designed to rehabilitate the patient in several ways

Encouraging clients to talk about the emotional and psychological effects of physical injuries

Establishing and conducting activities aimed at restoring patient mobility and reducing pain

False suggestions or errors while providing treatment in the above areas can inadvertently lead to a lawsuit and a claim by the client against the physiotherapist. Another situation where a claim could arise include:

Failure to develop and implement appropriate treatment program

Negligence in counselling clients about their treatment options

Treatment advice that directly leads to injury or damage to the health of your clients

Allergic reactions to oil or other substances while treating patients

What about Locum Insurance?

For a busy physiotherapy clinic, the absence of key staff can leave you unable to provide the level of customer service you expect. It can seriously affect your ability to operate and could even damage your reputation as a business. For Locum Insurance, visit a site like https://www.mprs-uk.com/products/general-practice/locum-insurance/

With physiotherapy locum insurance policy that is designed to fit your needs, you can ensure that your practice can continue to operate even if you or your team are off for various reasons, such as an accident or illness.

Public Liability Insurance for physiotherapy

If you or your employees make a home visit or clients come to you and they injure themselves on your property or vice versa, public liability insurance can protect you in this situation, if a claim is made against you.

General insurance also covers you if damage is caused to the property while you are working. Expensive items of furniture or technology may need to be replaced because of an accident, for example.