Public Liability Insurance

Public liability insurance bridges a crucial gap for contractors and visiting doctors who may not be covered by a practice's insurance for public liability incidents which are separate to the healthcare provided. It covers claims and legal costs for injuries or damage occurring outside direct healthcare provision. 

This differs from professional indemnity insurance, which covers claims related to professional mistakes during healthcare delivery. 

Avant provides protection up to $20 million included in an Avant Practitioner Indemnity Insurance policy. This covers eligible members for third-party claims while working as a contractor or operating on a third-party premises that you don't own, lease or control.  

Common scenarios include: 

• A patient trips over a chair in your consulting room 
• A visitor slips on a wet floor in a waiting room 
• You accidentally spill liquid on a patient's electronic device 

Cover is included in an Avant Practitioner Indemnity Insurance policy, for eligible members. You have cover as a contractor operating on third-party premises, meaning a location that is not owned, leased, or controlled by you. You don’t need to opt-in or pay any extra costs to have this included in your policy. The cover is noted on your policy schedule if you need to show it to your employer. 

As this cover is occurrence-based, you need to have a policy in place at the time the incident occurs rather than when the claim is notified. This is different from your medical indemnity policy. 

Important to note, the cover does not extend to: 

• your practice entity (unless you qualify as a sole practitioner who owns and controls the practice) 
• your practice staff 
• incidents that occur where you provide healthcare at premises you own, lease, or control. 

^Cover is subject to the full terms, conditions, and exclusions of the policy. 

Many businesses require public liability insurance for doctors. If you're not directly employed by the organisation where you practise, you may need your own cover. 

This is particularly important for: 

• Contractors and visiting medical officers in hospitals 
• Contracting surgeons performing procedures in private facilities 
• General practitioners who locum or work under contract 
• Specialists who consult across multiple practices 

Typically required: 

• When signing contracts with hospitals or clinics 
• For rental agreements for consulting rooms 
• When providing services at third-party locations 
• For doctors who are not covered by an employer's policy 

Sometimes it is written into a contract with a third party (such as a rental agreement or supply contract) that you must hold your own public liability insurance. 

Avant considers you a contractor if you are a party to a contract (either written or verbal) for services with a medical practice, hospital or other healthcare provider. This includes where you engage practice management services from a medical practice as an independent practitioner.  

This is a location that you do not own, lease, or control. However, if you rent or licence a room, that is covered. This also extends to universities, government buildings, schools etc.  

No, this cover does not extend to cover your staff. However, you may want to consider whether you need a practice policy which can be extended to include public liability cover for your practice entity and staff.

Yes, as you lease the rooms and not the practice location you have cover under the policy for public liability if you meet the eligibility criteria.

If you own or lease the premises where you work, you may need to consider cover that is more suitable for your needs. Please contact us to learn more about our Practice and Business Insurance products. If you are not a contractor, you may not require your own public liability cover.   

No, this is covered as standard in your policy without the need to opt-in. 

It may depend on your situation. Please contact us at Business.Insurance@avant.org,au for more information. 

Yes, as long as the incident happened during a policy period when you held an Avant practitioner indemnity insurance policy and public liability was included on your policy schedule. This is how occurrence-based cover differs from claims-made cover.

Your public liability cover is noted on your Policy Schedule and your Confirmation Certificate if you need to show this to your employer. Please contact us if you require anything further on 1800 128 268.