FAQs

Our locum Insurance is designed to cover costs incurred if a practitioner cannot work. It can meet locum costs or can reimburse colleagues who provide cover - and you won't need to provide locum invoices in order to claim.

If you’re a GP, any payment made from your insurance policy would not affect the payments your practice is entitled to receive from the NHS for GP performers’ sickness absence. NHS Employers have confirmed that any amount you claim from an insurance policy will not affect your entitlement to reimbursement.

Note that there may be a tax charge if the practice ‘profits’ from a GP’s absence and you should see advice from your accountant.

We offer you a choice of cover. You can either choose cover which is annually renewable or you can choose continuity of cover.

Annually renewable cover means that if you claim, your cover may be restricted at your next renewal date.

Continuity of cover means that the underwriters cannot be amend, restrict or withdraw your cover, regardless of any claims you make.

Choose from 3 levels of cover.

Either choose cover which aims to dovetail with the NHS reimbursement of the costs of GP sickness absence or choose full cover.

For further details, call 020 3982 0420 or ask for a quotation.

Yes, our experienced staff will advise you on the cover suitable for you and your practice.

Practice Cover's locum insurance has been designed for:

• Individual GPs, whether practice partners or salaried GPs, including single-handers
• GP practices
• Dentists
• Vets
• Opticians
• Pharmacists
• Allied Health Professionals
• Practice staff e.g. nurses, HCAs and practice managers in any of the above types of practice

The policy can be taken out by either:

• a practice which wants to insure its key people. In this case, the practice would be the policyholder.
• an individual doctor, dentist etc. In this case, the individual would be the policyholder.

In the event of a claim, claim payments would be made to the policyholder.

You choose the weekly sum you would need in the event of an insured person’s absence. If you are a GP we would not deduct any reimbursement your practice is eligible to claim from the NHS and you won’t have to provide locum invoices or other receipts to support a sickness absence claim.

Absence insurance will cover you, worldwide*, for absence from work due to accident and illness. Depending on the cover you select, you may also be eligible for:

• a weekly benefit if you are summoned for jury service, suspended from practicing, need to undergo training for revalidation purposes or need compassionate leave and
• a payment if you take maternity, paternity or adoption leave, are infected by HIV via a needlestick injury in the course of your work and a number of other eventualities.

Full details of the cover are contained in the Policy Document.

*with the exception of Afghanistan, Chechnya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Israel (Gaza and West Bank only) and Somalia

The policy covers you for normal holiday activities eg skiing (as long as you are not competing or skiing off piste).

The full range of exclusions (including aeronautics, mountaineering, rock climbing, boxing, bungee jumping, racing, professional sports, self-inflicted injury, criminal acts, war, terrorism, being under the influence of alcohol, drugs or solvents, radioactive contamination, HIV/AIDS, venereal disease) is shown in the policy document, available on request.

Depending on the cover you choose, you may also be insured if you are infected by HIV via a needlestick injury or assault in the course of your work.

The benefit period is the maximum period for which the weekly sum insured will be payable, after expiry of the deferment period. It is generally 52 weeks but you can select a shorter benefit period e.g. 13, 26 or 39 weeks. The shorter the benefit period, the lower the premium.

In the case of a claim for illness or accident, the sum insured will be paid for as long as the insured person remains temporarily totally unable to work, up to a maximum of 52 weeks, or less, if you have requested a shorter benefit period. Payments will commence after the end of your chosen deferment period.

The deferment period is the initial period, after the illness or accident, during which the sum insured will not be paid. The deferment period is selected by you when you take out the policy. The longer the deferment period, the lower your premium will be.

As a GP you might ask us to stagger your insurance so that a lower amount is paid in the initial period of sickness absence – to dovetail with the NHS reimbursement of the costs of GP sickness absence. This may reduce the cost of your insurance.

No. Many practices prefer to arrange for colleagues work extra sessions, rather than bringing in a locum. Our locum insurance will pay the weekly Sum Insured for the Benefit Period (after expiry of the deferment period) or until the person returns to work, if sooner, with no need to provide locum invoices.

The duration of the cover is 12 months. This means that, shortly before the end of the year, we will contact you to ask you whether you would like to renew your cover and we will tell you what the premium and terms will be for the forthcoming year.

We can insure people from 18 upwards. Those aged over 70 may be insurable on our annually renewable policy only and would need to complete an annual declaration of health.

You may be eligible for tax relief on the premiums as a business expense of the practice - please consult your tax adviser or your Tax Inspector.

The premium can be paid:

• In full, by BACS
• In full, by cheque
• in 6 or 10 monthly instalments, subject to a credit charge.

IPT is a tax on the premium you pay for all general insurance policies where the risk is located in the UK. This includes Locum Insurance as well as motor, household, travel and other protection cover. IPT is automatically included in the premium we quote.

The first stage is to get a quote. You can have as many quotes as you like and, once you have one that suits your requirements, you will need to complete a proposal form (one per person). Or you can give us a call and we'll do this over the phone for you.

We are generally able to set up your cover the same day, if that's what you need.

Please let us know as soon as possible if you think you may need to claim by contacting This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or calling us on 020 3982 0420, giving us your policy number. We will ask you to complete a claim form which we will then send to the underwriters for assessment of your claim.