An in-depth guide to our GP locum insurance

Our locum insurance - simply explained

If your practice has at least three members of staff, Practice Protector Plus can help towards covering the cost of hiring locums, temporarily replacing key staff, or providing sick pay benefits to employees. It offers an important safety net when considering sickness cover for GPs.

Locum costs remain high

Hiring a locum GP can be extremely expensive. As you may have experienced, costs can vary considerably and recent figures* show daily rates vary considerably. In England they're now up to £800, they are £600 in Wales, £600 in Scotland, and in Northern Ireland coming in at £400.

Contract changes for GPs in England, Scotland and Wales mean that from 1 April, 2017 the NHS will pay at least part of the cost of hiring in a locum in the event of sickness absence. But this is unlikely to cover the cost in full.  In Northern Ireland the previous discretionary system remains in place for the time being.

Whilst most practices have provision for some level of staff sickness, long-term absences could leave you exposed to significant costs. This is why locum insurance cover is still extremely important.

Even GPs fall ill

Being a GP is no barrier against unexpected illness or injury and there are many conditions that can potentially affect all of us. This includes psychiatric illnesses such as anxiety and depression, musculoskeletal conditions such as back pain or common joint problems and even cancer. Clearly, this can result in the need for extended time off and a major disruption to any practice.

Our plan provides your practice with permanent protection.

Comprehensive cover - can other providers offer you this?

• Funding towards the cost of replacing key staff in the event of their absence due to illness or injury
• Sick Pay protection for salaried GPs and other key practice employees - including practice managers; practice nurses; pharmacists; physiotherapists; and administrative staff
• Continuity of cover, no matter how many claims are made or changes in health occur
• Medical assessment at the time you apply for cover means you can be confident you are fully covered
• Simple medical history questionnaire - no medical examination normally required
• Cover regardless of medical history (up to a specified limit) - means cover can be provided for individuals who may otherwise not be accepted
• Automatic annual increase in benefits enables cover to stay in line with inflation (up to a specified limit)
• You can choose how soon payments start, and how long they are paid for -  to meet  the needs of both the members and the practice

A detailed guide to the benefits

For protection that's amongst the most comprehensive available, choose Practice Protector Plus. Over time, we've worked closely with GP practices to develop and refine our locum insurance so that it truly reflects the realities of managing staff sickness.

What do you find in our plan?

• Cover Without Medical Evidence - regardless of their medical history, a guaranteed amount of benefit is available for eligible members
• Sick pay cover for key employees - up to £2,000 per week
• Locum and Role Replacement cover - up to £4,000 per week

 Positions eligible for Locum and Role Replacement cover:

• GPs
• Practice managers
• Nurse practitioners
• Practice nurses
• Pharmacists
• Physician's assistants
• Nurse clinicians
  
  

Payments to working GPs - colleagues can be reimbursed if they cover a fellow GP's sessions.

Choice of benefit payment periods - 26 or 52 weeks for locum and role replacement cover, and 13, 26 or 52 weeks for sick pay cover.

Choose when benefit payments start - after 0, 2, 4, 8, 13, or 26 weeks enabling you to tailor around NHS sickness cover reimbursement.

Cover to age 70 - for all eligible occupations except physiotherapists for whom the maximum age is 55.

Tax relief - for partnerships, premium payments made to us by the practice are normally classed as a business expense.

Offset costs - for limited companies and partnerships, benefits can be offset against the cost of hiring a locum.

Rehabilitation cover - allows for a phased return to work if appropriate.

Cover for psychiatric conditions - this is included as standard.

HIV and needlestick cover - fully covered.

Pregnancy - pregnancy is not an illness, but complications of pregnancy that are diagnosed by an obstetrician are fully covered.

Dangerous sports - all activities covered on an amateur basis.

Annual increases - at each anniversary of your plan, you can increase cover in line with inflation.

Guaranteed Insurability Option - once an employee has been a member of the scheme for three years, locum and role replacement cover for that member can be increased by up to 25%, without providing medical evidence.

Transferring cover - if a GP moves practice, they can transfer cover from one Wesleyan plan to another regardless of any changes in their medical history.

Career break option - a member's cover can be suspended for up to two years during a sabbatical. Your premium payments to us will stop and re- start on return to work regardless of any changes in health in the meantime.

Maternity leave - your premium payments to us are suspended, but cover remains in place for up to 12 months. Cover and premiums return to normal when you go back to work within 12 months of the maternity break.

For GPs with locum cover, a Practice Locum Cover Plan is provided at no additional cost and is a separate annually renewable contract. This provides funds to cover UK jury service attendance, a GP's suspension from work, absence due to emergencies/bereavement for certain family members and adoption/paternity leave.

Speak to an expert in locum insurance

Your local Wesleyan Financial Consultant will be happy to discuss any questions you have about locum insurance, or related concerns such as sick pay or role replacement cover.

Arrange your appointment now, with one of our expert Financial Consultants.

*Medeconomics Survey of GP Locum earnings UK, October 2016.