As a therapist, you face a number of potential risks as part of your professional work, such as liability claims from customers, equipment damage and legal disputes. Having insurance in place is vital to protect in the event of a claim or dispute.
There are many different covers available, and you will need to choose the right ones for your particular therapy and the nature of your business. Our guide will help you understand the different types of cover available.
Key therapist covers you’ll need
For any therapy work, you will need to protect for claims alleging a breach of your professional duty of care – read more about this below.
Professional indemnity insurance, including libel and slander cover
Run-off cover professional indemnity insurance should you cease trading or retire
Other common therapist covers you may need
There are several other common covers you may need including, but not limited to, the below:
Professional indemnity for therapist
Professional indemnity insurance protects professionals against legal defence costs for allegations and claims for damages arising from acts of negligence, errors, omissions, or breaches of professional duty in the services provided. Policies offered through Everywhen can offer levels of indemnity from £1-10 million.
Remember that professional indemnity only covers for allegations against claims for injury in your professional capacity (for example, a torn muscle due to exercises taken as part of your sports massage therapy) but not an accident unrelated to the therapy (such as slipping in the bathroom after the therapy). For the latter, you need public liability cover.
Therapist run-off cover
Even after you stop trading or retire, there is still the chance that a claim may arise out of work that you have completed in the past. Even if the claim doesn’t hold up, defending it can still cost you time and money.
That’s why it’s a good idea to take out ‘run-off’ cover. It means you have some protection should a claims allegation be received after you’ve stopped working, as long as it relates to something you did while you were still in practice, subject to the terms of the policy.
Public liability for therapists
Public liability insurance covers claims for accidental third-party injuries or accidental property damage caused by your therapy practice. If you have a physical location where clients and other third parties can visit, then it is very important you have this cover.
You also need this cover to defend against allegations from your patients or members of the public suffering accidental injury, illness or death while on your premises, but not linked directly to your treatment.
Therapist insurance when you have staff
If you employ staff in the UK, then it is a legal requirement to have employers’ liability insurance. It covers you against legal defence costs for allegations of accidental workplace injuries and illnesses. If you are at fault, the policy will pay compensation up to the policy limit. Note that this is a separate cover and not included within professional indemnity. It will need to be arranged alongside public liability insurance.
Business equipment insurance for therapists
You can take out cover for accidental damage to your business equipment (policies offered by Everywhen can offer up to £5,000). We can also tailor this if you only need cover at your premises or if you take equipment out with you to other locations.
Cyber insurance for therapists
This provides assistance in the event of a cyberattack or data breach, to support in the remediation process, restoring data and equipment, legal defence costs and damages that are legally liable to be paid to other parties.
Worldwide cover for therapists
If you are practicing abroad, you should always check your policy covers you to do this - conditions will apply.
Therapists who hold insurance arranged under an Everywhen ‘own brand’ product are covered for professional indemnity and public liability while working outside the UK for up to 60 consecutive days, as long as you permanently live in the UK and have selected an appropriate policy limit. This cover also extends to working with clients who live overseas.
Insurance policies can differ, so it’s important to check your own policy documents to make sure the cover meets your needs, as not all policies include overseas work as standard. Cover is excluded for any action brought in any court of the United States or Canada.
What insurance do therapists need when working with clients who may need additional support?
When you work with clients who have more complex needs or require extra support, the risks you face as a therapist can naturally be higher. It’s important to make sure your insurance offers the right level of protection for the type of work you do.
To ensure you’re properly covered, speak with your insurance adviser about your practice and the clients you work with. They can help you understand whether you need to add or adjust any covers.
Physical therapy insurance covers
The type of insurance you need will depend on the kind of therapy you provide. If you carry out hands‑on physical treatments – for example, as a sports massage therapist – the risk of physical injury is naturally higher.
In contrast, therapies delivered remotely and without any physical contact – such as neuro‑linguistic programming (NLP) – involve much lower physical injury risks. Because of this, the insurance cover required can be quite different.
What about therapist insurance for students?
As a student, you’ll need at least a basic level of therapist insurance. This usually includes key covers like professional indemnity and public liability. As your career develops and your business grows, you may decide to add extra cover to suit your needs.
Students taking out therapy insurance from Everywhen pay a lesser rate than fully qualified professionals, while having the same levels of indemnity.
Ensure you have covers for particular patient risks
When providing any treatment, it’s essential that you ask your client about any relevant physical or health conditions they may have. Understanding this information helps you assess whether the techniques you plan to use are appropriate, safe, and in the client’s best interests.
If you are unsure whether your insurance policy covers certain treatments or situations, speak with your insurance adviser. They can help ensure your cover is suitable for the needs of your practice and the clients you support.
Therapists insurance from Everywhen
The people and business behind Everywhen have many years of experience providing tailored insurance solutions across the professional risks sector. We help therapists manage potential risks with confidence and take care of those who take care of others, insuring over 40,000 therapists across the UK with specialist liability cover for therapy practitioners.
For full details of the terms and conditions of therapists insurance from Everywhen, please refer to the policy wording, which is available during the quotation process, or can be provided upon request.
Get a therapists cover quote
At Everywhen, we specialise in supporting professionals in niche sectors, with flexible cover and guidance you can trust. Start a therapists insurance quote online or call us on 0330 818 7778 for a tailored quote or to discuss your options.
Consistent with our policy when giving comment and advice on a non-specific basis, we cannot assume legal responsibility for the accuracy of any particular statement. In the case of specific problems, we recommend that professional advice be sought.