Physiotherapist Insurance: What Cover do Physios Need?

For any healthcare professional, it's important to recognise the value of insurance in protecting both practitioners and patients alike.

In this article, we're exploring the various types of insurance for physiotherapists in the UK. From malpractice insurance to public liability insurance, we'll dive into the coverage options available and their role in safeguarding against potential risks and liabilities.

Hopefully, this article will provide valuable insights and guidance to help you make informed decisions about protecting yourself, your practice and your clients.

What we’ll cover

• Insurance requirements for physiotherapists in the UK
• Types of insurance for physiotherapists
• The benefits of physiotherapist insurance coverage
• Do physiotherapists in the UK need insurance?

There have been many claims made against physios over the years, so it’s wise to have some form of insurance in place to protect yourself.

Typically, any physiotherapist registered with a professional body will need to have certain types of insurance. In fact, all physiotherapists must have appropriate cover as a condition of their registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

Most physiotherapists will require both malpractice and public liability insurance. The CSP PLI scheme provides two separate policies for these:

• Medical Malpractice Insurance: This covers claims for personal injury to your patients arising from your work. For instance, if you fail to assess and treat someone properly or you harm a patient with your treatment.
• Public Liability Insurance: This covers non-personal injury claims that are not associated with your treatments. For example, if a patient slips walking into your clinic and breaks their ankle.

The CSP PLI scheme is very comprehensive and it covers you for all your individual physiotherapy work:

• For all activities within the scope of physiotherapy practice (the treatment of animals, some professional footballers, spinal injection therapy, nerve blocks and acupuncture when used for fertility treatment are excluded).
• Wherever you work, be that in a hospital, clinic, gyms or anywhere else.
• Whether you’re full-time or part-time.
• If you have more than one place or type of work.
• If you work in healthcare, education or social care settings for paid, unpaid or voluntary work.
• For student practice placements, work experience arrangements and those returning to practice after time off.
• Undertaken in the UK. You can work overseas (but not in the USA, Canada or Australia) for up to 180 days without needing extra insurance.

Bear in mind that once your student membership converts to a Graduate Affiliate category, you no longer have PLI cover. So you need to convert your membership to a full-practising category once you have your HCPC number if you need PLI.

Plus, some types of corporate entities and businesses formed by members might need separate insurance, as the CSP scheme does not qualify as business insurance.

Let’s take a closer look at the different types of physiotherapist insurance.

Medical Malpractice Insurance

This is a form of professional liability insurance that protects healthcare professionals like you against patient or client lawsuits.

Medical Malpractice Insurance covers you if someone claims that you were negligent in your treatment of them, or that you caused them physical or mental harm (including death). With such a big responsibility in assessing a patient’s body, it’s possible for erroneous mistakes to happen which affect their wellbeing. Claims like these can be very expensive, and insurance will help you pay for a specialist lawyer and prevent you from having to dip into your own savings.

For more information on this, download the Full Policy Wording CSP PLI (medical malpractice) scheme 2023-24.

It’s worth noting that Medical Malpractice Insurance plays a different role to Professional Indemnity (PI) Insurance. If you rely on the wrong one when someone makes a claim against you, there’s a chance you might not be covered.

Public Liability Insurance

Public Liability Insurance covers you if someone claims you caused accidental harm to them or their property. This could be your client or any third party you come in contact with during your daily work.

When you work face-to-face with clients, there are always risks to consider. Even leaving gym equipment lying around could form a trip hazard, potentially leading to a lawsuit. So while Public Liability Insurance isn’t always compulsory, it’s advised that you arrange cover so that your business doesn’t fall into financial difficulty.

For more information on this, download the CSP Public liability insurance master schedule 2023-24.

Often seen as a necessary evil, there are actually numerous benefits to taking out physiotherapist insurance.

Protecting your practice and clients

First and foremost, insurance coverage helps to mitigate risks and liabilities associated with your physiotherapy practice. Having insurance set up can protect both you, the physiotherapist, and your clients in the event of accidents, injuries, or malpractice claims.

It often includes access to legal support in the event of a claim, which can be invaluable in navigating complex legal proceedings, negotiating settlements, or defending against unfounded allegations.

Without insurance, you could be personally liable for legal costs, settlements, or damages awarded to injured clients, which could have significant financial consequences for you and your business.

Ensuring peace of mind

Having the right insurance in place can give valuable peace of mind to physiotherapists, knowing that they’re protected against unexpected risks and liabilities that could threaten their practice or livelihood.

Insurance acts like a financial safety net, empowering physiotherapists to focus on providing high-quality care to their clients without worrying about the potential financial or legal consequences of unlikely but possible events.

Compliance with professional standards

As a physiotherapist, it’s important that you adhere to certain regulatory standards to ensure patient safety and quality care. Insurance can help to protect your professional reputation and integrity, by demonstrating your commitment to ethical practice and accountability.

Having the appropriate insurance coverage in place reassures clients, employers, and regulatory bodies that you’re a responsible professional who prioritises patient safety and wellbeing above all else. It shows that you’re serious about your work and pride yourself on doing a thorough job.

As we mentioned earlier, all physiotherapists registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) must have appropriate indemnity cover.

If you’re employed by a business, it’s likely that your employer indemnifies you. Check if this is the case, and if so, you don’t need to do anything. If you’re a self-employed physiotherapist, you’ll need to make your own professional arrangement directly through an insurer.

There are many insurance options on the market, so it’s about finding the right one for you. With Suited, for example, you can get Public Liability Insurance from as little as £4.76 a month, including an expert legal team and cover up to £2 million. Or Simply Business offers a range of different insurance products – including tools and stock insurance – and you can pay monthly or annually.

If, for whatever reason, you need evidence of insurance, you can download your evidence of insurance document from the CSP website.

Join the UNTIL community

Insurance plays a huge role in protecting physiotherapy practices in the UK, so it’s worth checking what cover you have in place with your employer, or arranging cover with a respectable insurance provider if you’re self-employed or freelance. Insurance could not only save you thousands of pounds if someone were to claim against you, but it’s a signal to clients (both new and old) that you’re professional and dedicated to their wellbeing.

If you’re serious about boosting your reputation as a physiotherapist and providing high-quality care, you might want to consider treating patients in the professional environment, such as UNTIL’s physio rooms. UNTIL provides state-of-the-art facilities for London’s top health and wellness practitioners to see their clients. Only pay for what you use with zero commissions or overheads, and give your clients the best possible service with luxury facilities.

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