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.
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
There are several other common covers you may need, including but not limited to the below
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
This provides assistance in the event of a cyber-attack 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 123 5810 for a tailored quote or to discuss your options.
