Medical Malpractice Insurance in Australia
What is Medical Malpractice Insurance?
Medical Malpractice Insurance is specialised type of professional liability for doctors and other health workers. This protects you against court cases caused by actions, negligence or treatment that result in a patient’s injury or death. When your life’s work is about helping others, you hope this never happens, but it’s best to act as if it will.
Why Do You Need Medical Malpractice Insurance?
Medically specific insurance protects healthcare individuals as well as establishments. Hospitals, clinics, medical practices and mobile professionals are protected from expenses that arise from a perceived breach of professional duty. Cover can include costs for legal proceedings, professional inquiries and more, so you can stay focused.
How to Prevent Medical Malpractice Claims?
To avoid Medical Malpractice suits there are things you can do which can reduce your risk.
Make sure you always communicate clearly in person and in writing.
Establish good relationships, manage expectations and create clear boundaries.
Ensure that questions are answered and the question and response are recorded.
Strive for the highest professional standards through training and development.
Understand and communicate informed consent and explain what a patient is signing.
Keep complete and updated records and documentation as a paper trail – claims can go back years.
Medical Indemnity Insurance vs. Medical Malpractice Insurance
Professional Indemnity focusses on losses and damage to reputations that is non-medical and does not threaten life. Medical Malpractice Insurance is very specific. It covers surgeons against operating on the wrong body part or birth injuries leading to learning or physical disorders. The value of payouts to claimants of Medical Malpractice cases can be in the region of millions of dollars.
The actions of a doctor or other health professional can cause life-changing damage or worsen an existing condition. Because of this, a family or individual can sue for damages to support the life of the person affected. That can include the purchase of expensive equipment to use at home or the employment of permanent carers.
What Medical Malpractice Insurance Doesn't Cover
Because of the nature of medicine, it can be years before a case of Medical Malpractice is identified. Even years later, you can be sued for something which you did as a Junior Doctor. Because even if you now know better, you can’t go back and change things and the effects could be permanent. You need to take into account the number of years of your career that you want to cover. In your busy lives you don’t want to spend hours picking apart policies. Tell us what you need and Sure Insure will do the rest.
It’s important to know that this insurance does not cover criminal activity like sexual misconduct or alteration of records.
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