Medical malpractice insurance, also known as professional liability insurance, protects healthcare professionals (doctors, nurses, dentists, etc.) from financial losses if they are sued for negligence or errors that lead to patient injury or death.
This insurance is designed to cover for injury, misdiagnosis, delays in referral, physical or mental harm to a patient or even patient death which results from where a medical (i.e. Doctors, nurses or dentists) or Health care professionals (i.e. care assistants, chiropractors or therapists) acts, errors or omissions in the course of your professional duties.
People working in private healthcare have a duty of care towards their patients, but unfortunately, sometimes things inevitably go wrong. With public dissatisfaction with the NHS increasing, there has been a surge in private healthcare.
A 2022 survey by Spire, a private hospital group, reveals a significant rise in potential private patients. The survey suggests that up to 15 million people in the UK are now open to and can afford private healthcare, nearly double the number just two years ago (8 million).
This trend indicates a growing market for private healthcare services and an increased necessity for comprehensive Medical Malpractice Insurance.
Below are examples of claims that would fall under a medical malpractice policy.
Medical Malpractice Insurance Examples
- A Claimant was 83 years old when she became a resident at a Nursing Home. She was moved to a nursing home for a period of respite following a fall in her home. The claimant developed a significant sacral pressure sore whilst she was a resident and was transferred to a hospital shortly afterwards.
- Upon admission, she was found to be extremely unwell and dehydrated. She received treatment at the hospital for her pressure sore and following this was discharged to a different nursing home. She continued to receive treatment for the pressure sore until her death three years later. Sadly, the claimant was never able to return to her own home.
- A claim was investigated to determine whether the nursing home had failed to put in place an adequate nursing care plan and taken appropriate action to prevent the claimant from sustaining pressure sores. It was also investigated whether the home had failed to quickly identify and treat pressure sores at an earlier stage.
- A patient who developed a wound infection after bilateral breast augmentation which needed three revision operations due to receive £30,000 in compensation even though she has gone on to make a full recovery.
- A service user was allowed to leave a home in order to go on holiday with carers. The individual had very specific care needs and was not allowed to eat anything other than soft, mashed, food. In the car on the way to the holiday destination, the carers fed the patient cold meat and sweets which caused her to choke resulting in death. Allegations of negligence against the home were made including failure to ensure adequate staff training and failure to follow the care plan of the individual.
By partnering with Allsop Commercial Services, you can ensure you have the protection you need to focus on what matters most – providing excellent care to your patients. To receive a quotation, please fill out a web form or call our office to discuss your needs with an experienced member of our commercial team telephone: 01427 671 606.