Hiring doctors and key staff can be extremely expensive. While NHS reimbursement will pay part of the bill, it’s not always enough to cover the full cost. Locum insurance through Wesleyan’s Practice Protector Plus plan pays for replacement doctors, specialist nurses and pharmacists when you need them the most.
* Opening times are Monday to Friday 9am-5pm.
As a practice partner, it's often your responsibility to cover your absence if you're off work due to illness or injury. Not only is this usually part of your practice agreement, it's also a vital part of maintaining practice profits.
You may also be responsible for finding cover for other GPs and key staff in your practice. This can seriously hit your pockets - especially if a locum is needed for the long term. And with average daily costs of GP locums in England currently ranging from £600 to £850*, Practice Protector Plus can make a real difference.
Our comprehensive locum insurance plan covers the cost of hiring locums, temporarily replacing key staff and providing sick pay benefits to your employees.
Whether you have three members of staff or 30, your Specialist Financial Adviser from Wesleyan Financial Services can establish the level of cover that’s right for your practice.
*Management in Practice, September 2023
Regardless of medical history, a guaranteed benefit (up to £2,000 per week) is available for all doctors and staff.
Up to £4,000 per week for roles including GPs, practice managers, pharmacists and specialist nurses.
Up to £2,000 per week for other employed key staff, including practice managers, practice nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists and admin staff.
For GPs covering shifts within and outside of their normal schedule.
When you take out our Practice Protector Plus as locum insurance cover, GPs will also get the Practice Locum Cover Plan at no extra cost (provided through a third party).
You’ll be covered for jury service and suspension from work, family emergencies, bereavement, plus paternity or adoption leave. You can find out more here.
When you’re busy with patients, you may not be thinking about the risks your surgery faces day-to-day. From equipment breakdown to damage to vaccines, our team of medical insurance consultants can help you decide the right level of cover for you.
Get legal protection for claims made against you at work. You can tailor your policy to include liability cover, cover for legal expenses, defence costs and more.
Have you ever thought about what would happen if a partner of your practice became critically ill or passed away? Partnership protection pays out a lump-sum benefit that will allow you to buy your partners’ share of the business if they’re no longer around.
Wesleyan Financial Services is a broker and insurance products are provided by a number of selected insurers.
Limits, exclusions and charges do apply. Full terms and conditions of the policy and cover, including the policy benefits and exclusions, will be contained in the Policy Wording and Policy Summary.
Risk must be acceptable to underwriters at normal term.
Find out how we can tailor your plan to fit your practice and budget:
Does the plan cover injuries sustained outside the country?
Yes, plan members will be covered if they fall ill or suffer injury anywhere in the world. However, their benefits will only be paid when they are in certain countries or territories, including the UK, USA, Australia or the EU. The full list of countries and territories can be found in the Plan Document.
They won't miss out on their full cover if they're in another country as this will be backdated to when they fell ill. This will then be paid at the end of their chosen deferred period.
Does the plan cover partial return to work?
Yes. If a plan member is covered for locum or role replacement cover, we’ll pay you rehabilitation benefit if they go back to work part-time after a period where we’ve paid benefit.
For this to apply, the staff member must have been unable to work for at least 13 consecutive weeks and has returned to work for less than 30 hours each week.
Can I add a new member to the plan?
Yes, you can add a new member to your plan at any time.
Do I need to renew my plan each year?
No, this is a permanent plan designed to save you the time and hassle of going through a renewal process. We’ll review your plan each year and let you know if there are any changes to your premium or benefits. We’ll also offer an optional benefit increase to plan members.
Can I adjust my cover?
Yes, you can increase or reduce your cover at any time. Simply get in touch with us to make any changes to your policy. Note that increasing or reducing your cover will affect your premiums too.
How do I make a claim?
You should let us know as soon as possible by phone, email or post that you want to make a claim. This ensures we can start benefit payments as soon as the deferred period ends.
For contact details, please refer to the Key Features Document.
How do you assess my claim?
We look at whether a member is able to fulfil their duties as part of their day-to-day role.
You’ll qualify for the benefit if a member is unable to carry out the essential duties of their normal occupation (and is not doing any other work) and if you’re responsible for the costs of employing a locum or replacement, extra hours worked or employee sick pay.
How much will my premiums be?
Premiums can start from as little as £15 a month (£180 a year).
How your premium is calculated depends on a variety of factors, including each member’s age, sex, occupation and medical history. For the full list of dependent factors, please read our Key Features Document.
Will my premium change if I make a claim?
No, your premium will not change as a direct result of any claims you make.
What is the difference between permanent and annual locum cover?
At first glance, an annually renewable protection plan may seem the most cost-effective option for your practice. However, it's important to consider the impact this sort of policy may have on your practice in the long term. This type of protection gives insurers the option to re-evaluate the terms and conditions of your policy every year - including the right to refuse renewal.
By contrast, a permanent protection plan (such as Practice Protector Plus from Wesleyan Assurance Society) provides you with the certainty that as long as all policy terms and conditions are met and premiums are paid, the insurer can never withdraw, cancel or alter your plan. Your premiums will also be unaffected by any claims you make.
To learn more about which type of locum protection might be right for you, download this PDF.
