Our Corporate Indemnity

Focus on providing outstanding patient care without the distraction of litigation or reputational damage.

Specialist contractual indemnity for clinical organisations – guaranteed cover and peace of mind for your hospital, your team and your patients. No more discretionary refusal when you need legal support the most.

Themis Corporate Indemnity Team

Specialist contractual indemnity for clinical organisations – guaranteed cover and peace of mind for your hospital, your team and your patients. No more discretionary refusal when you need legal support the most.

I am pleased to recommend Themis to my colleagues

They provide indemnity which is contractual as opposed to discretionary cover so you can be assured you will have comprehensive protection. The team at Themis have many years’ experience in medical defence and are always accessible to provide advice and support.

Mr. Michael Savvas Consultant Gynaecologist at Kings College NHS Trust
Female doctor with arms folded smiling at camera whith her team behind

Forward-thinking corporate indemnity

Negligence claims are on the rise*, with the most common claims typically arising from misdiagnosis, negligent surgery and incorrect treatment. If a claim were made against your practice or employees, are you confident you have the right protection in place?

If a claim is incorrectly settled, it can ruin your organisation’s reputation and increase future indemnity premiums. At THEMIS, we pride ourselves on providing true peace of mind for your hospital, your team and your patients. We offer complete defence solutions, coupled with exceptional customer service, so your teams can focus on providing great patient care without the worry and distraction of litigation risks.

*https://www.statista.com/statistics/893770/number-of-claims-reported-to-nhs-england-by-type

Delivering more for your hospital, clinicians and subcontractors

Icon of thumbs up

Guaranteed, regulated cover

Unlike discretionary policies, our contractual insurance provides certainty – you know exactly what’s covered and when it pays out. We’re regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) - this means we have to be transparent with our policies. Our underwriters are also regulated by the PRA – this means you can be confident your THEMIS policy has the funds available to pay out any claims made.

Icon of hands holding a heart

Expert support and guidance

In addition to having a dedicated contact within our client care team to discuss your policy needs, your team are granted access to our day-to-day medico-legal helpline to help deal with common issues that arise (such as complaints, regulatory issues, etc.). We also offer your clinical staff access to our clinical governance team who offer expert advice to assist with specialised treatment questions that may arise (such as referral suitability opinions).

Icon of laurel wreath

Intelligent underwriting

Driven by AI and our deep knowledge of medical risk, our underwriting process enables us to set competitive premiums that identify and promote best practices. This means we are both reducing the risk of claims and supporting you in driving up clinical standards.

Icon of shield with tick

A robust defence

If you ever need to make a claim, you will have the leading experts in your corner from the first moment – including legal counsel from top medical defence firms, our highly experienced in-house claims team and the independent investigatory experts at TMLEP. We never outsource to a third-party claims handler.

Download Icon

Discover how we can help you—download our brochure

Download Brochure

What a Themis Policy covers

Medical malpractice
Claims for clinical negligence, including defence costs.
Medico-legal helpline
Advice to help you manage day-to-day issues you may encounter in your practice, such as complaints handling.
Clinical governance helpline
Advice on a range of clinical governance issues to ensure safe, consistent, and responsive care for patients.
Icon of phone

To find out more about switching your policy to us, or if you’d like us to check the terms of your existing one simply get in touch and we’d be more than happy to help.

Selecting the right cover for your hospital

We offer different types and levels of cover and always tailor our policies to meet your needs exactly.

Medical malpractice insurance for your hospital and employees
Our complete defence solution protects your hospital and employees from legal costs and claims arising from patients bringing clinical negligence claims against your hospital, or employees.
Medical malpractice insurance for your subcontractors
To minimise the risk that your subcontractors have inadequate cover, gain further protection by offering our cover to your subcontracting doctors and surgeons – and know that all clinicians who are approved by our underwriters meet the highest practising standards.
Additional insurance
We can also offer policies that go beyond medical malpractice to cover other key areas such as cybersecurity, employee liability and buildings insurance.
Hospital team discussion

Exclusive Benefits for Policyholders

As a policyholder, you will also benefit from a range of expert tools and resources from Themis and our wider network of specialists.

medical team walking in corridor
Medivault
ransform the way you manage medical data with our cloud-based system or storing, viewing and sharing medical records and radiology imaging.
Electronic consenting
Access this trusted digital consent system to do away with the problems of in-person signing and storage of paper consent forms.
Clinical risk alerts
Improve medical standards and reduce risk with immediate notifications on patient safety reports and clinical learning.
Independent reviews from TMLEP
Access insight gained from independent investigations carried out by our lead clinical partner TMLEP.
Download Icon

Discover how we can help you—download our brochure

Download Brochure
Female medical professional in scrubs

Discretionary medical indemnity

Discretionary medical indemnity means just that — it is discretionary and down to your provider to decide whether to cover you or not. That means that there is no guarantee that the cover will pay out when you need it to.

Discretionary indemnity and a providers insurance products are not regulated to provide insurance by the FCA or the PRA. This means the provider is under no legal obligation to detail the specifics of the cover and there is no knowing whether the providers have the resources to cover new claims. Indemnity offered by The MDU, The MPS and The MDDUS — collectively known as medical defence organisations (MDOs) — typically falls into this category. Most clinicians don’t realise that this type of indemnity has zero contractual guarantees of assistance in the event of a claim.

Contractual medical indemnity

Contractual medical indemnity is guaranteed cover, dependent on the terms in your policy.

If you are a clinician working in the private sector, you will want to know that there is no risk of a claim being turned down. Contractual cover is regulated by the FCA and details the specifics of the cover you’re purchasing.

Learn more in our guide - Your guide to medical malpractice indemnity: What clinicians need to know when purchasing medical malpractice cover

Two medical professionals talking

Discretionary indemnity refusal examples

Many clinicians don’t realise that they have discretional, unregulated indemnity provided by UK MDOs in place. Where discretion was exercised by leading MDOs, medical professionals were left personally liable to meet claims. Here are just a few examples. Have you got the correct cover in place?

Case Study A
Irreversible Reputational Damage

Clinician A was originally introduced to their MDO at medical school. At no time when explaining their services (or at subsequent subscription renewals) can Clinician A recall the MDO explaining discretionary cover. Clinician A remained with their MDO for around 20 years, with subscription fees exceeding £100,000.

When an unexpected regulatory investigation was launched, it caught the attention of the press and claimant law firms. Clinician A looked to their MDO to assist with the regulatory issues and clinical negligence claims, and also enquired as to whether assistance could be provided in relation to the public media attention.

Clinician A was informed that their MDO was exercising their right to withdraw their protection, on discretionary grounds. For both the regulatory issue and the defence of clinical negligence claims, Clinician A was left to fund his own representation. They were personally liable for claims in excess of £350,000.

Given the lack of immediate support, the matter was allowed to progress extensively and has caused almost irreversible reputational damage.

Case Study B
Claim Rejected on Discretionary Grounds

Clincian B signed up to discretionary indemnity at medical school. The MDO they signed with was so well known and used by all their colleagues, that they never questioned the effectiveness of the cover. Indemnity fees were taken each year by direct debit and Clinician B assumed they had adequate cover.

Following a referral request form that documented clear symptoms and a suspected diagnosis, Clinician B saw and investigated a patient according to the usual procedure.

A claim was later brought against Clinician B for failing to notice a tumour in an area unrelated to the symptoms or suspected diagnosis.

Clinician B contacted their MDO who refused the claim on discretionary indemnity grounds.

Clinician B had never made a claim in the past, and to date, had paid thousands of pounds in membership fees.

Clinician B was left to fund their defence privately, with the claim valued in the region of £250,000.

Risk alerts for clinicians

It’s important that clinicians keep up-to-date with and are aware of emerging clinical risk trends that could lead to claims.

We make this easy by offering complimentary access to clinical risk alerts, based on advanced claims intelligence provided by our Lead Clinical Partner, TMLEP. Policyholders can stay updated by accessing the latest insights that may impact their practice.

Patient health insurance claim form in doctor or nurse hands

Risk alert 1
Generally consenting for chronic nerve pain and/or nerve damage

Although typically rare, surgery-related nerve damage can arise from a number of different procedures. The severity of nerve damage can vary greatly, from complete disability to temporary, minor chronic pain.

In order to manage patient expectations, and to defend claims involving nerve damage, generalised consent for chronic nerve pain and/or nerve damage should always be considered.

Hand, wrist, arm, thumb, fingers and other injury

Risk alert 2
Increasing Awareness of the Role of GnRH Pre-Treatment for Fibroids

It is important for gynaecologists to remain informed about the pre-treatment options available for fibroids. Several cases have shown that GnRH analogues should always be considered prior to fibroid removal surgery.

One example is if the fibroids are causing an enlarged or distorted uterus. Clinical and patient discussions regarding the risks and benefits of taking GnRH analogues should occur prior to surgery.

woman holding stomach

Risk alert 3
Intestinal Obstruction: The Importance of Proper Examination and History Taking

Intestinal obstruction occurs when food and stool cannot move freely along the gut. Various factors can cause intestinal obstruction, including hernias, tumours, abdominal adhesions, volvulus (intestine twisting around itself), and foreign objects. Unless treated promptly, intestinal obstruction can be fatal.

This clinical alert explores why an accurate history and examination are essential for correct investigation and management.

Questions to ask your provider today

  • Are you experts in medical malpractice and do you understand my risk?
  • Is my policy regulated by the FCA?
  • Are you, or the underlying underwriters, regulated by the PRA?
  • How can I contact my provider if I need to?
  • How readily available and responsive is your provider?
medical professionals reading contract
Shield with plus symbol

Experience indemnity as it should be

Apply for Protection