Your equipment can hurt someone. So can your treatment plan.
Allied health practices carry two distinct kinds of risk that most practitioners lump together: the physical clinic, gym equipment, treatment tables, slippery floors, and the clinical judgement behind every treatment plan. They're covered differently, and it's worth knowing which is which before something goes wrong.
Where an allied health practice actually gets exposed
The split matters because it decides which part of your cover actually responds: was the client hurt by something in the clinic, or by the treatment itself.
The equipment that failed during a session
A client is injured when gym or rehabilitation equipment fails during a session, a cable snaps, a treatment table isn't properly secured, unrelated to the clinical decisions behind the treatment itself.
The treatment plan that made things worse
A client's condition worsens following a treatment plan that, in hindsight, wasn't appropriate for their specific injury or condition, and they pursue a claim over the clinical decision itself.
The slip in the waiting room
A client or their support person slips on a wet floor in the waiting room or reception area, unrelated to any treatment.
What this actually covers
Public liability and professional indemnity for allied health
Public liability protects you if:
- A client or visitor is injured on your premises for reasons unrelated to their treatment
- Equipment failure causes injury
- You damage a client's property
Professional indemnity protects you if:
- A treatment plan or clinical decision is found to have caused harm
- Incorrect advice leads to a worsened condition
- Documentation or record-keeping failures affect a client's ongoing care
Who's going to ask you for it
Registration and referral networks both expect it
Cover for allied health practitioners is close to standard practice, driven by professional and referral relationships:
- Professional registration bodies for most allied health disciplines require practitioners to hold professional indemnity insurance.
- Referring GPs and hospitals expect practitioners they refer to have current cover.
- Landlords of clinic premises want proof of public liability before leasing space.
Common questions
Is professional indemnity mandatory for my registration?
For most allied health disciplines, yes, it's a condition of professional registration. Check your specific registration body's requirements, or ask us and we'll confirm.
A client was injured by faulty equipment, not by my treatment. Which cover applies?
That's a public liability claim, since it relates to the physical premises and equipment rather than the clinical decision behind the treatment.
I employ other practitioners at my clinic. Does my cover extend to them?
It's worth confirming specifically, since some practitioners hold their own individual professional indemnity cover separate from the practice's policy. Tell us how your clinic is structured.
Do I need higher cover if I also run group classes or gym-based sessions?
Often, yes. Group settings can raise the public liability exposure given more people and equipment are involved at once.
I'm a sole practitioner working from a shared clinic space. What do I need?
You still need your own professional indemnity cover for your own clinical work, and it's worth checking who holds the public liability cover for the shared premises itself.