Professional Malpractice Insurance

I would like to hear comments from anyone who is a manipulative therapist in Australia and has just renewed their insurance with AON/Royal & Sun Alliance. The AON policy has 4 conditions that a therapist must abide by if they are to be covered for manipulation of the cervical spine. One of these conditions is that the client must, at the time of performing the technique, fully inform the client as to the risks associated with cervical manipulation. Further more they must, at the time of technique application, request that the client sign and date a written concent form. This must happen each time the client is receiving such a treatment.

I would suggest that physiotherapists are renewing under these conditions but not abiding by them. There are two outstanding cases against physiotherapists relating to cervical manipulation. One of these has a claim of 2,000,000, the other $1,500,000. If these claims were made today, the therapists involved would not be covered if they had not complied with the above conditions. Have you?? Ohysiobase would suggest that looking at insurnace should not be a question of the cheepest policy, rather that it is catering to the needs of the therapist as a professional. All comments would be welcomed as Physiobase and CGU are continuing to develop an appropriate policy to cover the needs of manipulative therapists for 2003.