Suspension cover

No matter how long you have been in practice or how rigorous your clinical procedures are, the threat of an allegation or complaint against you is always present. The nightmare of professional suspension and the implications for you, your practice, and your patients are serious. It’s an episode that causes disruption, costs money, and could materialise from nowhere.

In 2006 the General Dental Council received 3,196 queries or reports about practicing dental professionals in the UK on issues ranging from poor practice management through to drug abuse. 414 cases were forwarded to Fitness to Practice procedures, of which 107 dentists were referred to the Professional Conduct Committee for a public enquiry.

In 2006 the General Medical Council conducted 303 Fitness to Practice hearings, up from 262 in 2006, a rise of over 15%. The number of doctors who were the subject of an Enquiry to the GMC rose by over 29% in the five years between 2002 and 2007.

When a suspension is imposed patients are left facing either delays, or being without treatment. For dental patients this could mean entertaining the prospect of private dental charges. Re-booking appointments is one option if the suspension is short; for longer periods your practice may choose to cover the workload itself using other partners or recruiting a replacement. Either way, delays could see your practice losing patients to a rival practice, and incurring additional practice expenses.

So what can you do to protect your income against such threats? Suspension insurance cover is a practical solution and is included as a standard feature of Practice benefits and Locum insurance from Towergate MIA. It pays for the additional costs incurred by you or the practice to maintain patient treatment while a disciplinary investigation is pending.

The cover works in a similar way to normal personal accident and sickness claims. An excess period applies (initially selected when starting cover and reviewable throughout the life of the policy). Cover is provided during the remaining suspension period until either a suspension decision is finalised and you return to work or face permanent disciplinary measures, or until the policy benefit period expires.

Towergate MIA can help you today

It's worth checking today whether your current policy includes suspension cover as standard like ours. If it doesn't you're running a daily risk to your own income and the future of your practice.