Professional liability · Physiotherapists
Professional Liability Insurance for Physiotherapists
Your work is hands-on, with people in recovery. The right cover lets you plan treatment without holding back.
The subject matter
Responsibility begins at assessment.
Physiotherapy is not only the application of a technique. It is assessment, treatment planning, choice of modality and adjustment as the patient progresses. Professional liability responds to that service as a whole.
So what you declare should name not only the techniques you use, but where you use them: in the practice, in the patient’s home, or in a sports setting.
The services
What is declared as physiotherapy.
The fuller the description, the smaller the chance of an activity falling outside cover.
Assessment and treatment planning
Functional assessment and programme design are exercises of professional judgement, and they carry as much weight as the treatment itself — often more.
Manual therapy
Mobilisation, massage and myofascial techniques. Direct physical contact is what sets the profession apart when the risk is assessed.
Therapeutic exercise
Prescribing and supervising exercise with progressive loading. Adapting that loading to the patient’s condition is part of the service.
Equipment and physical modalities
Electrotherapy, ultrasound, laser, shockwave and thermal applications. Equipment is declared, because it changes what is being assessed.
Home visits
Treating outside the practice changes the setting: different space, different equipment, different conditions. It is not always covered automatically, so it needs to be declared.
Sports rehabilitation
Work with athletes or clubs, often under time pressure to return to activity. Rated separately, and clubs sometimes require proof of cover under the contract.
What is assessed
The elements of an assessment.
- Techniques and equipmentWhich techniques you apply and with what equipment, in detail.
- Place of practiceOwn practice, affiliation with a centre, home visits, or a combination.
- Volume of sessionsApproximate annual sessions or turnover.
- AssociatesWhether you employ other physiotherapists or support staff.
- Your premisesIf you own your practice, public liability for the premises is considered alongside professional liability.
- Retroactive dateFor established practitioners, the point deserving most attention when changing insurer.
Common questions
Questions physiotherapists ask.
Are home visits covered?
They need to be declared expressly. Many policies tie cover to a stated place of practice, so treatment at the patient’s home does not follow automatically. It is one of the first things we check.
Do I need cover if I work at a rehabilitation centre?
The centre’s cover exists primarily for the centre. An affiliated physiotherapist may or may not be included, depending on the agreement. It is worth checking before relying on it.
Is damage caused by equipment covered?
It depends on what happened. Where it comes down to how the treatment was applied, that is a professional liability question. Where the equipment itself failed, it may be a matter for the manufacturer or your equipment insurance. We separate the two at the outset.
Are assistants or students covered?
Usually yes, where they work under your supervision and have been declared. A second qualified physiotherapist is a different case: they need cover of their own, or an express extension of yours.
By profession
Professional liability by profession.
- DoctorsPrivate practice, clinic affiliation, by specialty.
- DentistsProsthetics, implants, orthodontics, aesthetics.
- PharmacistsDispensing, pharmaceutical advice, the pharmacy itself.
The first conversation
Let us look at the cover that fits your practice.
We start with your techniques, your equipment and where you treat, and structure the cover from there.