Public Liability vs Professional Indemnity for Carers

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Understand the difference between Public Liability and Professional Indemnity (medical malpractice) for carers, home care workers and domiciliary care agencies – and how to structure the right protection for your service.

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We work with insurers who understand the care sector

  • Allianz
  • Aviva
  • QBE
  • RSA
  • Zurich
  • NIG

UNDERSTANDING PUBLIC LIABILITY & PROFESSIONAL INDEMNITY FOR CARERS

Clear, practical guidance on the covers regulators and commissioners expect to see

Many carers and home care providers are told they need “Public Liability” and “Professional Indemnity” – but the difference isn’t always explained. Insure24 helps you understand what each policy does, how they work together and which risks they protect in everyday domiciliary care.

Why “Public Liability vs Professional Indemnity” matters for carers

In domiciliary care, incidents can arise from both general accidents and professional care decisions. Local authorities, NHS commissioners and regulators increasingly expect clear evidence that you carry appropriate cover for both types of risk.

  • Commissioner requirements: Frameworks often list both public liability and professional indemnity / clinical cover.
  • Regulatory expectations: CQC and professional bodies expect providers and practitioners to hold suitable indemnity.
  • Different triggers: A fall over equipment is not the same as a medication error or clinical decision.
  • Personal exposure: Individual carers can be named personally in allegations and claims.
  • Contractual risk: Misunderstanding cover can lead to non-compliance with contracts.
  • Peace of mind: Clarity over which policy responds in which scenario builds confidence.

Our role is to explain the difference in plain English, help you choose suitable limits and structure cover that works for both individual carers and domiciliary care organisations.

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What is Public Liability and what is Professional Indemnity?

Although they are often mentioned together, Public Liability and Professional Indemnity respond to different types of allegation. For carers, both can be important.

Public Liability (PL)

  • Covers injury to members of the public or damage to their property.
  • Typical scenario: a visitor trips over a piece of equipment and is injured.
  • In care, may respond if you accidentally damage a client’s belongings or home.
  • Usually required under local authority contracts and by many landlords.
  • Limits often set at £2m, £5m or £10m depending on risk and contracts.
  • Applies to non-professional, non-clinical aspects of your work.

Professional Indemnity (PI) / Medical Malpractice

  • Covers claims that your professional advice, care or treatment caused harm.
  • Typical scenario: a medication error leads to a hospital admission.
  • Used to cover negligent clinical decisions or omissions of care.
  • Often written on a “claims-made” basis with a retroactive date.
  • Limits typically between £1m and £5m for care organisations.
  • Sometimes described in contracts as “clinical negligence” or “medical malpractice” cover.
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Public Liability vs Professional Indemnity – side-by-side for carers

The table below summarises how the two covers differ when you look at them from a domiciliary care perspective.

Public Liability – think “accidents”

  • Trigger: Injury to third parties or damage to their property.
  • Examples: Spilling hot drinks, damaging furniture, slips or trips over your equipment.
  • Audience: General public – clients, visitors, family members, passers-by.
  • Wordings: Usually “occurrence-based”, responding to incidents during the policy period.
  • Common requirement: Often mandatory for contracts and premises access.
  • Focus: Non-professional aspects of your presence and activities.

Professional Indemnity – think “professional decisions”

  • Trigger: Allegations that your care, advice or clinical decisions caused harm.
  • Examples: Wrong medication dose, failure to escalate concerns, incorrect clinical judgement.
  • Audience: Clients and sometimes commissioners questioning your professional practice.
  • Wordings: Frequently “claims-made”, responding when the claim is made (subject to retro date).
  • Common requirement: Increasingly requested by councils and NHS commissioners.
  • Focus: Professional services, clinical tasks and care decisions.
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Which carers need Public Liability and which need Professional Indemnity?

The answer depends on whether you are employed, self-employed or running a care organisation – and what your contracts and professional bodies require.

Self-employed carers & small providers

  • Self-employed carers and PAs usually need their own Public Liability cover.
  • Many also need Professional Indemnity / malpractice for hands-on care and medication.
  • Direct payment or privately funded clients may ask for proof of insurance.
  • Some platforms and introducer services require both PL and PI to join.
  • We can tailor cover to your mix of personal care, companionship and clinical tasks.

Employers & domiciliary care agencies

  • Agencies typically arrange PL and PI / malpractice at organisation level.
  • Employees are usually covered whilst acting within the scope of their role.
  • Frameworks may specify minimum limits for both PL and PI across the service.
  • Where self-employed carers are used, policy wording must clarify whether they’re covered.
  • We can help you structure cover for multiple entities and trading names.
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How Insure24 structures Public Liability & Professional Indemnity for carers

We work with care-sector underwriters to build joined-up insurance programmes for carers and domiciliary care providers, rather than isolated products that leave gaps.

Carer & agency-focused broking

  • Experience insuring domiciliary care, live-in care and complex community care.
  • Understanding of how PL, PI, malpractice and EL interact.
  • Ability to explain your service clearly to underwriters.
  • Option to combine PL & PI under one product where appropriate.
  • Support aligning cover with local authority and NHS requirements.

Clarity, documentation & support

  • Clear documentation showing which covers you hold and at what limits.
  • Help explaining your insurance position to commissioners or families.
  • Guidance on claims notifications for both accident and malpractice events.
  • Regular reviews to reflect changes in client needs and contracts.
  • Dedicated contact point for care providers and self-employed carers.
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What we’ll ask when arranging Public Liability and Professional Indemnity

The process is straightforward, but you can make it even smoother by having a few details ready about your work as a carer or domiciliary care provider.

Your role & activities

  • Whether you are self-employed, an employee or running a care organisation.
  • Types of care you provide – personal care, companionship, complex care, delegated healthcare tasks.
  • Any specialist procedures you undertake (e.g. insulin, PEG, catheter care) subject to training and protocols.
  • Whether you work alone, with staff or subcontractors.
  • Areas you cover and approximate number of clients.

Contracts, requirements & history

  • Any local authority, NHS or private contracts and their insurance clauses.
  • Existing insurance policies and limits, if you have them.
  • Any previous or outstanding claims or serious complaints.
  • Professional registrations or memberships you hold.
  • Preferred start date and any tender or framework deadlines.
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Insure24 explained the difference between our public liability and professional indemnity cover in a way our carers and commissioners could easily understand, and helped us set limits that matched our contracts.

Registered Manager, Domiciliary Care Agency

UNIQUE INSURANCE
TAILORED FOR CARERS & DOMICILIARY CARE PROVIDERS 

DESIGNED AROUND REAL-WORLD CARER RISK

  • Combines Public Liability and Professional Indemnity where appropriate.
  • Reflects the realities of working in clients’ homes and the community.
  • Supports contractual and regulatory expectations.
  • Flexible enough to adapt as your role or service evolves.
  • Backed by insurers experienced in social care and healthcare.
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Linking PL & PI to compliance, governance and confidence

For high-intent visitors, insurance is part of a wider picture: clinical governance, CQC standards, commissioner oversight and client confidence. Clear cover helps demonstrate professionalism and accountability.

  • Insurance that supports “safe” and “well-led” ratings by evidencing protection.
  • Clear explanations you can share with staff during induction and training.
  • Concise summaries for inclusion in tenders and contract reviews.
  • Alignment of insurance with your incident reporting and complaints procedures.
  • Confidence for carers that they are protected when delivering professional care.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS – PUBLIC LIABILITY VS PROFESSIONAL INDEMNITY FOR CARERS

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Do carers need both Public Liability and Professional Indemnity?

Many do. Public Liability covers accidents like slips, trips and damage to property, while Professional Indemnity (or medical malpractice) responds to allegations about your care, advice or clinical decisions. Self-employed carers and care organisations typically need both, especially where contracts specify them.

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Is Professional Indemnity the same as medical malpractice cover?

In care, the terms are often used interchangeably. Some policies are called Professional Indemnity, others Medical Malpractice or Clinical Negligence, but the core idea is similar – covering claims that professional care or advice caused harm. We can explain how each wording works in practice.

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Does my employer’s insurance cover me as an individual carer?

If you are employed, your employer’s policies generally protect the organisation for your actions while you are working within your role. However, some professionals and self-employed carers may still need their own cover, particularly where professional registrations or contracts require it.

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Which policy would respond to a medication error?

Medication errors are usually treated as a professional or clinical issue, so typically fall under Professional Indemnity / malpractice, not Public Liability. Exact response depends on the wording – we will help you check your policy.

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Are these covers compulsory for CQC registration?

CQC expects providers to have appropriate indemnity arrangements in place, and many local authorities and NHS commissioners specify minimum insurance levels. We can help you arrange cover that supports both regulatory and contractual expectations.

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Are Public Liability and Professional Indemnity written on the same basis?

No. Public Liability policies are usually “occurrence-based”, while Professional Indemnity / malpractice is often “claims-made”. That affects how past work is covered. We’ll explain how this works for your policy and help you avoid gaps when changing insurers or restructuring your service.

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What limits of indemnity should carers and agencies choose?

It depends on your role, the contracts you hold and the risks you face. We’ll check any framework or tender requirements, look at your client profile and suggest options so you can choose appropriate limits for both PL and PI.

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How do I arrange Public Liability and Professional Indemnity cover?

Call Insure24 on 0330 127 2333 or complete our online enquiry form. We’ll ask a few straightforward questions about your work as a carer or domiciliary care provider, review any contract requirements and then obtain quotes from suitable insurers on your behalf.

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