Four out of five surgeons unknowingly practice without adequate insurance cover

Up to 80% of surgeons are unknowingly not adequately covered by their insurance, leaving patients in limbo, and prompting the UK’s sole trade union for surgeons and anaesthetists to call for an overhaul of the system.

The General Medical Council (GMC) requires all doctors and surgeons to have adequate protection in place to allow them to practise in the UK, which theoretically covers both the patient and the practitioner. Although practitioners are covered by NHS indemnity, many aren’t aware that this cover does not extend to locum work, ‘Good Samaritan’ acts, or private practice. This means that in the event of a claim, patients will have to resort to suing the surgeon directly and if they do not have the means to pay the compensation out of their own pocket, the patient will be left with nothing.

With 80% of surgeons relying on medical defence organisations (MDO) to provide their insurance, the potential impact on patients is vast. The UK’s sole trade union for surgeons and the surgical team; the Confederation of British Surgery (CBS) is calling for an end to discretionary cover and a shift to contractual cover, which is closely monitored by financial authorities, ensuring it operates with transparency within the parameters of the contract.

Consultant plastic surgeon and president of the Confederation of British Surgery Mark Henley, says: “It is a disconcerting truth that the vast majority of surgeons find themselves without adequate indemnity insurance coverage, with many oblivious to its limitations. This not only jeopardises the practitioners but patients in the event of a claim, resulting in arduous legal battles that drain both finances and psychological wellbeing. Urgent and sweeping change is imperative to dismantle the current landscape plagued by unscrupulous insurance providers.”