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November 2017

Proposal to include practice staff in NHS indemnity scheme



General practice nurses could be included in a new scheme to make the cost of indemnity for NHS practice more affordable.

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt has announced that he intends to develop a state-backed scheme for general practice, in response to pleas from GP leaders that the cost of indemnity was becoming unaffordable.

GPNs have also seen the cost of indemnity rocket in recent years, as their role has expanded and the number of claims against practice nurses has increased. It is a legal requirement for GPNs to have indemnity cover that is sufficient and appropriate to the scope of their practice, and an NMC requirement for revalidation.

NHS England has already committed to providing additional funding to GP practices to cover indemnity inflation for the current financial year, but the aim will be to introduce ‘a more stable and more affordable system’.

However, any new scheme is unlikely to be introduced before April 2019, and details and costs have still to be worked out.

In the meantime, GPNs should ensure that they continue to have adequate professional indemnity insurance.