July 2024 Newsletter

Dear PRASIS Member

Welcome to the first PRASIS newsletter of 2024, which we hope you find useful. Thank you for your ongoing loyalty to PRASIS.

DO NHS DOCTORS NEED ADDITIONAL PROTECTION?

Simon Downing, Managing Director of our Brokers, MIC (Medical Insurance Consultants) writes:

Why may the NHS “crown indemnity” scheme be inadequate – do NHS doctors need additional protection?

Some believe working within the NHS means that you don’t need your own personal cover, because you get protection under the umbrella cover of the NHS Trust/Health board in either England, Scotland and Wales, or in Northern Ireland under the health and social care trust you work. You do, but as this cover is only for clinical negligence claims, it is not intended to assist you as an individual for matters such as GMC investigations, employment disputes or Good Samaritan cover. What if you do some medico-legal reports, or must attend a court case or an inquest?

This is why the PRASIS NHS Cover is proving so popular, understanding your needs as an individual and picking up those gaps in cover that are important. When you retire, the policy also provides ongoing cover against you and your estate for up to 25 years, ensuring your historical work is still covered.

It’s easy to apply with a short form to complete and minimal renewal information needed, allowing you to carry on with what you are best at.

Remember this is contractual insurance cover protecting you and giving you certainty, accountability and transparency, unlike the protection offered by the Medical Defence Organisations (MDO’s) who are not regulated or accountable and any protection which they offer you is totally at their discretion, giving you certainty, accountability and transparency.

Your PRASIS broker (MIC) always works with members on an FCA regulated advised basis, giving best advice to you on all the options available to them - they are able to seek quotations from several different underwriters and will advise you of what is best for your individual needs.

Some providers, especially those with only one policy to offer, work on a non-advised basis. This means they are just saying the cover they offer ticks all the very basic boxes but without explaining the limitations of the policy or offering any comparison to your current cover. This is very much “buyer beware” territory and you need to read all the small print. A number of heavily promoted apparently “cost competitive” policies have small print which makes for interesting reading.

Contact PRASIS on 01935 847382 or email prasis@m-i-c.co.uk to see how you can benefit.

IMPORTANT POINT TO NOTE WHEN CONSIDERING YOUR INDEMNITY AND YOUR PROTECTION UNDER FCA REGULATIONS

“Advised” and “non-advised” indemnity arrangements are simple terms but with significant implications for you and your protection.

The “advised” sales process will usually involve the following steps:

Client needs and demand assessment
Suitable product type recommendation and explanation
Policy features and benefits advice
Level of cover, cover type and discount products selection and explanation
Policy statements or terms and conditions explanation

Once you have chosen the insurer and policy, the advised broker will also be there for you if you need to make a claim.

Generally, an advised sales broker has more legal obligations to their clients since they recommended the policy and insurer. From the process above, they are expected to explain the policy or insurance contract, coverage, benefits, and potential risks in detail. For instance, if the broker claimed that a particular cover is included, but actually isn’t, a client can take legal action.

The “non-advised” sales process is much shorter than advised sales because the broker only provides generic advice to clients regarding indemnity insurance. It can include answering questions and explaining terms related to insurance, the benefits insurance or coverage, and other similar information.

A non-advised broker will not be able to answer questions like, “What is the best policy?” or “What do you think should I choose?” Essentially, they cannot answer questions that can lead to an answer that sounds like specific advice, an indirect recommendation, or trying to close a sale. Non-advised brokers must seek permission from the FCA if they want to provide individual advice to their client.

Unlike quite a lot of the market, your PRASIS broker (MIC) always works with members on an advised basis, giving best advice to you on all the options available to them. Some providers, especially those with only one policy to offer, will work on a non-advised basis which means they are just saying the cover they offer is suitable for someone like you. No comparison to your current cover or offer of alternative cover options, which in reality may suit you far more.

Please notify us if there are any topics you would like included in future newsletters.

CHANGES TO THE CLINICAL BOARD

Ruth Waters has been elected for a second year as Chair of PRASIS to February 2025.

Jim Kirkpatrick has completed his second term on the Clinical Board, and Jeyaram Srinivasan, five years’ service. We are very grateful to Jim and Srinivas for their commitment, hard work and wisdom during this time.

Hiroshi Nishikawa (Birmingham) has joined the Clinical Board, serving from March 2024 for a three-year period. We look forward to his advice and enthusiasm.

The Clinical board are delighted to have co-opted Nikita Joli, the Immediate past President of PLASTA, who has already, proved invaluable.

PRASIS SPONSORSHIP

PRASIS continues to support our members and our Specialty through selected sponsorships, including:

An Educational Partnership with BAPRAS for 2023/2024.
BAAPS: Annual Scientific Meeting, London, September 2024
PLASTA Annual Meeting, at the BAPRAS Winter meeting, and Newsletter entries.
PRASSA – the plastic surgery medical student association

THE CONFEDERATION FOR BRITISH SURGERY (CBS)

As a member of PRASIS you are eligible for 1 years FREE membership of the CBS!

Many of you may already know about the Confederation of British Surgery (CBS) but for those who are not yet acquainted; The Confederation for British Surgery is an official trade union, which is able to provide members of the surgical community with support and resources that the specialty associations, colleges and indemnity schemes, such as PRASIS are unable to offer.

CBS has worked closely with PRASIS for many years and offer you free membership for your first year. You will need to sign up individually to gain this benefit because of the rules regarding trade union membership. If you are interested in learning more, please visit the CBS website at

https://www.cbsgb.co.uk/membership_application.aspx

What does CBS stand for?

At CBS, our mission is to foster collaboration and address the unique challenges present in the surgical realm. We are dedicated to advocating for surgeons and your teams, safeguarding your professional and employment interests. In the dynamic and demanding landscape of surgery, CBS stands as a representative voice for the surgical community.

Understanding the Landscape

It's important to recognize the context in which surgery operates. While there are over 200,000 licensed doctors in the UK, there are only 10,000 Consultant Surgeons and 6,800 Consultant Anaesthetists (Source: GMC Digital October 2020). As surgical professionals you constitute a relatively small portion of the medical workforce. CBS was established to protect the interests of this vital segment of healthcare professionals.

Beliefs and Vision

CBS firmly believes that by providing surgeons and their teams with a safe, well-resourced, and well-managed environment, we can improve outcomes for patients. CBS is committed to creating this conducive environment for the benefit of both patients and surgical professionals alike.

Benefits of Joining CBS?

As a member of CBS, you gain access to a range of benefits designed to support you:
Surgical Advice Service: if you need advice or support, our team is here to assist you
Membership Partner Discounts: enjoy exclusive discounts and services through our network of partners
Flexible Membership Options: we offer a range of membership options to suit every stage of your career
Advice on Indemnity Cover: Specialised coverage tailored for clinicians
By Surgeons, For Surgeons: CBS was established by surgeons for the surgical team, ensuring that your needs are understood and addressed
Advocacy and Campaigning: we actively campaign for change and advocate for the needs of the surgical profession
Embracing the Future: as the field of surgery evolves, CBS is committed to looking ahead and embracing change a alongside you
Your Voice Matters: CBS provides you with a platform to voice your concerns and contribute to positive change within the surgical community

CBS application form: https://www.cbsgb.co.uk/membership_application.aspx

To find out more about the Confederation of British Surgery or to join please visit our website www.cbsgb.co.uk or email admin@cbsbg.co.uk

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PACKAGES

Following the excellent webinar on “Growing your Private Practice” by Sue O’Gorman and Hannah Browning on 13th March, we are able to forward the offer for a review of your current business profile at preferential rates.

www.medicihealthcareconsultancy.co.uk

www.beyondexcellenceconsultancy.co.uk

SUMMARY BENEFITS OF PRASIS

Stability and security should be the overriding considerations which drive a choice of indemnifier, and we believe that our current Underwriters and Broker provide these.

The Insurance market remains challenging with ongoing reduced capacity affecting the ability of those left to take on risks, leading to large increases in premiums for some professional groups and great difficulties in securing any cover at all for others.

PRASIS creates and provides a community for plastic surgeons who have shared core values based on their training and working practices, and for this reason PRASIS members are viewed as a safer group, and therefore an attractive risk for insurance companies.

PRASIS is also unique in having a Clinical Board, all of whom are senior plastic surgeons, and who provide their insights and influence to the wider team.

Members of the Clinical Board are always pleased to provide clinical advice to PRASIS members, and when appropriate to act as advocates for them in their dealings with the Brokers and Underwriters of PRASIS. To do this requires the member’s written consent for disclosure to the Clinical Board Member(s) of the full background information relating to the issue in question - be it a clinical matter, or a matter relating to the member’s policy (e.g. their premium).

We are here to help members with any enquiries. The quickest way to get through to a Board member is to contact the PRASIS Board Secretary, Helen Roberts:

helen.roberts@prasis.org or Mobile: 07930509646. Helen will ensure your query is forwarded to the correct member of the team.

In addition to this and as outlined above PRASIS supports educational activities and opportunities for its members for their benefit, and more widely to benefit the Plastic Surgery community as a whole.

PRASIS is an Introducer Appointed Representative of Medical Insurance Consultants Ltd which is Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and is entered on the Financial Services Register under reference 309026.