Your medical indemnity hasn't been reviewed in years, and you're probably paying too much or covered for too little

Cover was set up at the start and renews automatically There is no prompt to compare providers or scope of cover Reviewing it feels like effort for an uncertain saving

• Indemnity renews automatically without comparison
• Cover is not matched to current activity levels
• There is no routine review prompt
• Market alternatives are not compared at renewal

A consultant paying £12,000 per year in indemnity premiums on a policy that has not been reviewed in three or more years is likely paying above current market rates in a softened market, and may simultaneously hold cover that does not reflect their actual clinical activity. The dual risk is overpaying for protection that may not respond when needed, a financial and professional exposure that a single annual review could identify and correct.

• A claim arises in an area the provider deems outside normal scope, discretionary cover is withheld and the clinician is personally liable for legal costs and damages.
• Premiums are paid at rates significantly above the market, money that could fund clinical development, staffing, or equipment is absorbed by an uncompetitive policy.
• A gap in cover emerges between policies or during a period of career change a claim arising from work done during that gap has no protection
• Regulatory investigation or GMC referral triggers a response from the indemnity provider that falls short of what the clinician expected too late to remedy.
• Run-off cover is not in place on retirement or career change, leaving historic private practice work exposed to future claims

What it looks like in practice

• A consultant surgeon has not reviewed their indemnity since moving from employed NHS work to full private practice, the policy still reflects their old low-risk profile and is likely to exclude several procedures they now perform.
• A clinic director assumes their discretionary MDO membership provides contractual certainty, it does not, and they have no recourse if a claim is declined.
• A consultant retiring in 12 months has no run-off cover arranged, all private work from the past decade remains exposed to claims that could arrive for years after they stop practising.