Locum Insurance is designed to cover costs which will be incurred if a practitioner is unexpectedly unable to work.
If you’re taking out cover for yourself, we’ll ask you how much money you would need, on a weekly basis, if you couldn’t work.
If you’re taking out cover for your practice, we’ll ask you how much money you would need, on a weekly basis, for each of the colleagues and members of staff you’d like to insure.
GPs
If you’re a GP you might decide to base the amount of insurance you want on the cost of a locum to cover for you, your colleagues and staff. Locum costs vary significantly from one area to another but you’ll probably know, from past experience or from talking to other doctors in your area, how much you’d have to pay. And remember that, depending on the locum’s age, you might have to pay superannuation as well.
You can choose a policy which aims to ‘dovetail’ with the non-discretionary funding of GP performers’ sickness absence that was implemented in April 2017 and amended in 2018 or you can choose a policy which aims to cover the entire cost.
NHS Employers have confirmed that if you have an insurance policy in place it will not affect the funding to which the practice is entitled.
Note that however you ask us to set up your policy, we won’t ask you to provide locum invoices if you need to claim. This means that if, for example, you’re insured for £2000 a week, this is the amount payable if you claim – regardless of whether you bring in a locum.
So, if you need to claim from your insurance policy, you can use the money as you see fit.
Dentists, vets, opticians
If you’re a dentist, vet, optician or an allied health professional you might decide to take out insurance to meet the cost of a locum to cover for you (or a member of your team) in the event of unexpected absence.
Note that however you ask us to set up your policy, we won’t ask you to provide locum invoices if you need to claim for sickness absence. This means that if, for example, you’re insured for £2000 a week, this is the amount payable if you claim – regardless of whether you bring in a locum.
We won’t ask you for locum invoices, meaning you can use the money in the best way for your practice.
Absence insurance for dentists - download our PDF |
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