Treatment and malpractice
Claims that hands-on treatment or clinical judgement harmed a patient, where the wording extends to bodily injury.
Allied Health Professional Indemnity
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Allied Health Professional Indemnity
Professional indemnity for allied health practitioners and clinics.
Allied health claims usually start with an outcome, not an accident. A patient says treatment made a condition worse, that something was missed, or that they should have been referred on. Because the work is hands-on and clinical, the wording needs to treat bodily injury arising from treatment as covered rather than excluded, which a general liability policy commonly does not.
What is it?
Allied health covers physiotherapy, occupational therapy, psychology, podiatry, chiropractic, osteopathy, speech pathology, dietetics and exercise physiology. Several of these professions register with AHPRA, which sets a registration standard requiring practitioners to hold professional indemnity arrangements. Others are self-regulated through professional associations that set their own cover requirements, and NDIS provider obligations can add a further layer.
What does allied health professional indemnity cover?
Missed or delayed referral
Allegations that a condition outside your scope should have been identified and referred on.
Patient records and privacy
Breach of the health information held in practice systems, which is treated as sensitive data in Australia.
What affects the cost?
- Modalities and techniques used
- Registration body and its minimum limit
- Mobile, in-home and NDIS work
- Number of practitioners and students
- Claims history
Worth raising on the call
- Cover is claims-made, so a gap between policies can leave past treatment unprotected.
- Dry needling, manipulation and exercise prescription are commonly rated as higher-risk techniques.
- Working outside your qualified scope is a standard exclusion regardless of intent.
Claims we are commonly asked about
Manipulation blamed for ongoing pain
A patient says a cervical manipulation left them with symptoms that have not resolved and lodges a claim months after their last appointment. The allegation usually centres on technique choice and informed consent, and the file notes from that day carry much of the weight.
Infection that should have been referred
A podiatrist treats a diabetic patient's ulcer across several visits and the patient is later hospitalised, alleging the infection should have been recognised and referred earlier. Failure to refer is one of the most frequent allied health allegations in Australia.
Patient report sent to the wrong address
A clinic emails a psychology report to the wrong recipient and health information is disclosed to a third party. Notification obligations, the regulator and the patient response are handled quite differently to a treatment claim.
Worth confirming in the wording
- Worth confirming whether the wording covers bodily injury arising from treatment, because general liability policies commonly carve that out and leave a gap for hands-on practitioners.
- Worth confirming whether telehealth, in-home visits, community work and NDIS-funded services all sit inside the described activities on the schedule.
- Worth confirming whether defence costs sit inside the limit or in addition to it, and whether representation at an AHPRA or professional conduct inquiry is included.
Common questions
Do I need my own professional indemnity if my employer already has cover?
An employer's policy generally covers the practice and may or may not extend to you personally, and it will not follow you if you leave, do private work or see clients outside those premises. Registered practitioners also have their own registration standard obligations, so it is worth confirming what the employer wording actually names rather than assuming you are included.
Is the cover included with my association membership enough?
Association schemes are a legitimate starting point, but limits, activities covered and exclusions vary and may not match how your practice has grown. If you have added techniques, telehealth, NDIS work or other practitioners, it is worth comparing the scheme wording against what you actually do now.
What does claims-made mean and why does it matter?
Claims-made means the policy that responds is the one in force when the claim is made and notified, not the one in force when the treatment happened. That is why a gap between policies can leave past treatment unprotected, and why run-off cover matters if you stop practising or change roles.
What does allied health professional indemnity cost?
It depends on the practice and cannot be quoted sight unseen. The usual drivers are the modalities and techniques used, the minimum limit set by your registration body or association, whether you do mobile, in-home or NDIS work, the number of practitioners and students, and your claims history.
General information only. Cover, limits and exclusions depend on the PDS, TMD, eligibility, underwriting and the policy terms. See professional indemnity insurance for the wider picture.
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