UK Surgery Insurance Quotes
Surgery Insurance
Business insurance for GP surgeries, doctors, dentists and clinics, covering your premises and contents, your medical and dental equipment, your public, employers’ and treatment liability, and lost income.
Why compare surgery insurance with us?
- Compare premises, equipment and liability cover for your practice
- Suitable for GP surgeries, doctors, dentists and clinics
What is surgery insurance?
Surgery insurance is a business package for a medical or dental practice that brings the covers a clinical business needs into one policy. Its defining cover is medical malpractice, also called treatment liability, which meets claims arising from clinical treatment, negligence or misdiagnosis and is not part of an ordinary business policy. Around that sit buildings and contents for the premises, cover for high-value medical and dental equipment such as dental chairs and diagnostic machines, public liability for injury to a patient or visitor, employers' liability where you have staff, and business interruption to replace lost income if you cannot operate after an insured event. It also protects confidential patient data and refrigerated medicines and vaccines. For most GP surgeries, dental practices and clinics it is the single policy that keeps the practice running when something goes wrong.
Surgery insurance covers a wide range of clinical practices because the risk itself varies so much. A GP surgery, a private clinic, a dental practice, a physiotherapy or chiropractic clinic, an opticians and an aesthetic clinic all sit within surgery insurance, but each carries a different underwriting picture. Insurer appetite varies significantly by the treatments and specialties offered, the number of clinicians and staff, the value of the equipment and the location, which is why specialist broker placement matters more than a mainstream off-the-shelf quote.
Policies are usually built up from the covers each practice needs. Medical malpractice, buildings and contents, medical and dental equipment and business interruption form the core, then the other liabilities are added on top. Every practice that treats patients should hold public liability for injury to a patient or visitor or damage to their property, commonly at £2m, £5m or £10m. Employers' liability is a legal requirement the moment you take on nurses, hygienists or receptionists. The exact mix is priced against the real practice rather than treating every surgery the same way.
A surgery treats patients clinically rather than selling goods, so the professional and equipment exposures are the defining risks. Medical malpractice covers clinical negligence and misdiagnosis and protects the practice as an entity, its premises and its employed staff, while individual clinicians may also hold their own indemnity through a medical defence organisation. Brokers on our panel understand how a slip in the waiting room drives public liability claims, how high-value dental chairs, X-ray and diagnostic machines need equipment and breakdown cover, how the treatments and specialties offered shape the premium, how patient records bring a data and cyber exposure under GDPR, and why business interruption should reflect a fridge failure that spoils medicines and vaccines. They price the policy against how you actually work rather than a fixed online figure.
Related surgery cover
How surgery insurance works
Tell us about your practice
The treatments and specialties you offer, the number of clinicians and staff, your annual turnover, the value of your medical and dental equipment, the premises, location and any past claims. The more accurately you declare these details, the tighter the quotes the specialist underwriting panel can send back.
Compare specialist surgery quotes
Your details go to brokers who underwrite medical and dental practice risks daily. They price premises and contents, medical malpractice, public and employers' liability, equipment and business interruption against your specific practice and specialties.
Choose your cover and stay protected
Pick the policy that fits your practice. Core premises, contents and liability cover, with medical malpractice, equipment breakdown, business interruption and patient data cover added where you need them.
What does surgery insurance cover?
A medical or dental practice carries risks an ordinary business policy leaves out, so cover is built around your premises, your equipment and the treatment you provide.
Buildings and contents
Premises (if you own them), waiting rooms, consulting and treatment rooms, furniture and IT, against fire, flood, theft and damage.
Medical and dental equipment
High-value equipment such as dental chairs, X-ray and diagnostic machines and computers, usually including breakdown cover.
Medical malpractice and treatment liability
Claims arising from clinical treatment, negligence or misdiagnosis. The defining cover for a practice, and one an ordinary business policy does not include.
Public liability (£2m to £10m)
Protects you if a patient or visitor is injured on the premises, or their property is damaged, such as a slip in the waiting room.
Employers' liability (legal requirement, £5m to £10m)
Required by law once you employ anyone, including nurses, hygienists and receptionists.
Business interruption and medicines
Replaces lost income if you cannot operate, and covers deterioration of refrigerated medicines and vaccines if a fridge fails.
What surgery insurance does not cover
A surgery policy is built around the treatments and specialties you offer, the number of clinicians and staff, the value of your equipment, how the premises are protected and the covers you choose to add. Once a loss falls outside those declared limits, or a claim breaks a policy condition, the policy stops paying out. Knowing where the cover ends matters as much as knowing what it includes, particularly because undeclared procedures, poor upkeep and known circumstances left off the policy are among the most common reasons a practice claim is reduced or declined.
Wear, tear and gradual deterioration
Loss caused by ageing, general deterioration, slow-acting causes, rot, damp and corrosion falls outside the cover. Worn waiting-room furniture and ageing fittings, plumbing and building fabric are expected upkeep, not an insured event. Cover is for sudden and unforeseen damage, not the slow results of everyday use.
Clinicians' own indemnity held separately
The practice policy covers the entity, the premises and employed staff, but where an individual clinician holds their own indemnity through a medical defence organisation, their personal cover sits outside the practice policy. Self-employed associates and locums often arrange their own. Check who is covered by the practice and who must hold their own before you assume a claim falls to the surgery policy.
Known circumstances and existing claims
Medical malpractice is usually written on a claims-made basis, so an incident or complaint you already knew about before the policy started, or failed to notify, can fall outside cover. A matter you were aware of that could give rise to a claim is not something a new policy picks up. Notify your broker of any known circumstances as soon as they arise rather than waiting for a formal claim.
Undeclared high-risk procedures
A malpractice claim can be cut or declined where it arises from a high-risk procedure the insurer was never told about, such as sedation, surgical or cosmetic treatments outside the declared scope of the practice. Cover is rated on the procedures you disclose. Tell your broker before you add a new treatment or specialty so the extra clinical risk is built into the policy.
Undeclared treatments, specialties or staff
A new specialty, an extra clinician, a visiting consultant or additional employed staff each add risk that must be declared, because each brings its own liability. A claim tied to a treatment or a person the insurer was never told about can fall outside cover. If you change what the practice offers or who works there, tell your broker so the extra liability is built into the policy rather than assuming it is already included.
Poor maintenance and equipment upkeep
Loss or injury traced to medical or dental equipment, electrics or building fabric you failed to service or maintain, such as an unserviced autoclave or diagnostic machine or electrics that were never tested, is not met. Keeping clinical equipment, electrics and the premises in safe working order is your responsibility, and insurers expect the upkeep to be done and recorded.
How much is excluded differs widely from one insurer to the next and from one practice to another. Always check the policy wording carefully on malpractice terms, declared procedures, known circumstances, maintenance conditions and optional covers before buying. For cover against claims from patients injured at your practice, see our public liability insurance guide.
Practices we cover
Cover is arranged across the full range of medical, dental and clinical practices, from a single practitioner to a busy multi-room clinic.
Not sure which fits? A specialist broker will match cover to your practice, your treatments and your equipment.
What affects surgery insurance costs
Surgery insurance premiums vary widely from one practice to the next. A single-handed physiotherapy clinic sits in a very different bracket to a large dental practice with several clinicians, high-value equipment and many staff. Practice premiums are usually higher than a small shop because the equipment, liabilities and clinical risk are larger, and the figure moves with the treatments and specialties you offer, the number of clinicians and staff, the value of your equipment, the medical malpractice limits, your annual turnover, where you are based and how well the premises are protected. Understanding which of these factors drives the premium puts you in a better position to ask the right questions before buying.
Set the medical malpractice limit to match your clinical risk and declare every treatment and specialty at quote stage. Insurer appetite for practice risks differs more than most owners expect. Some insurers load or decline higher-risk clinical work, such as surgical, sedation or cosmetic procedures. Others specialise in exactly those risks. A specialist broker knows which insurer fits which practice, which is why the same surgery can produce quotes 30 to 50% apart across the market. Get the equipment sums insured right too, because underinsurance triggers the average clause and cuts every claim payout proportionally.
MMC Surgery Insurance Specialists, FCA-authorised (reg. 916241)
Treatments, specialties and malpractice limits
The treatments and specialties you offer shape the malpractice premium more than anything else. Higher-risk clinical work such as surgical, sedation or cosmetic procedures costs more to insure and needs specialist underwriting, while routine general practice sits lower. The higher the malpractice limit and the clinical risk, the higher the premium.
Clinicians, staff and turnover
The number of clinicians and staff and your annual turnover give the insurer the scale of the practice. More clinicians and more patients mean more treatment activity, more people on site and higher liability exposure, so the premium rises with them. Set the figures to reflect the real practice so the cover matches your activity.
Value of medical and dental equipment
High-value equipment such as dental chairs, X-ray and diagnostic machines and computers lifts the contents premium and usually needs equipment breakdown cover. The more specialist equipment you hold, the higher the sum insured and the more there is to replace after a loss. Set the figure to the full replacement cost so a claim is not cut by the average clause.
Premises and location
Local crime rates and flood risk all feed directly into rating, which is why a city-centre clinic can cost more than a quiet suburban practice. A coastal or riverside location raises the flood exposure, and in the highest-risk postcodes a history of theft or flooding brings larger premiums and, in some cases, higher excesses.
Claims and clinical history
Previous malpractice, theft, fire, flood or liability claims load the premium and can bring higher excesses or exclusions. A clean claims and clinical record over recent years is one of the clearest ways to keep the cost down, so keep good records, log your checks and report incidents properly when they happen.
Data security and premises protection
How you protect confidential patient data under GDPR feeds into any cyber cover, while a monitored intruder alarm, CCTV and good-quality locks help protect the premises and equipment. Strong data security and premises protection can reduce the premium, and meeting an insurer's minimum security clauses also keeps cover valid at claim time.
Every practice is rated on its own treatments, clinicians, turnover, equipment, location and protection. Compare surgery insurance quotes to see how your specialties, equipment and security shape the premium across our specialist broker panel.
How much does surgery insurance cost?
The premium depends on your practice, the treatments you offer and the cover you need.
There is no fixed price. Surgery insurance is quoted by a specialist broker for your practice.
How surgery insurance works
Three steps from telling us about your practice to putting cover in place.
Tell us about your practice
Share your practice, the treatments you offer and your staff. It takes a couple of minutes.
Get matched with brokers
We connect you with FCA-authorised specialists who understand medical and dental risks.
Compare and get covered
Compare quotes and put cover in place.
Surgery cover options and legal requirements
Some parts of a surgery policy are a legal duty and others simply protect the practice you have built. This section sets out the main covers a medical or dental practice needs, from employers', public and medical malpractice liability to buildings, equipment and lost income, and shows where the law sets the rules rather than leaving the choice to you. Open any section below to see what each cover does and when it applies.
Employers' liability: a legal requirement
Employers' liability insurance becomes a legal requirement the moment you take on staff, whether they are nurses, hygienists, receptionists, part time or a family member on the payroll. The Employers' Liability Act 1969 sets a minimum of £5m of cover, and most surgery policies arrange £10m as standard. It pays compensation and legal costs if a member of staff is injured or made ill because of the work they do for you, such as a nurse hurt lifting or a needlestick injury.
The duty applies even to a single part-time receptionist or a locum on the payroll. Trade without valid cover and you can be fined up to £2,500 for each day you are uninsured, and the certificate has to be available to your staff. See our surgery insurance guide for how staff cover fits into a practice policy.
Public liability for patients and visitors
Public liability covers claims from patients or visitors who are injured, or whose property is damaged, because of your practice. A patient slipping in the waiting room or falling on the stairs is the classic example. Cover is commonly arranged at £2m, £5m or £10m, and a lender or landlord will often ask for a set limit.
It is not required by law, but few practices trade without it, and patients, lenders and landlords expect it as a matter of course. It is also commonly a condition of a lease. The right limit depends on how busy the practice is and what a lender or landlord asks for.
Care Quality Commission (CQC) registration
Most clinical practices must register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the regulator for health and social care in England, before they can provide treatment. Registration sets standards for safe, effective care and the practice is inspected against them, so it is a requirement that sets a surgery apart from an ordinary shop or office.
The CQC sets out the standards a practice must meet and inspects against them, so how you manage clinical safety, records and staffing matters. Medical malpractice and public liability cover sit alongside registration to protect the practice against claims arising from the care it provides.
Buildings, contents and medical equipment
Buildings cover pays to rebuild the premises after fire, flood, storm or impact, including waiting rooms, consulting and treatment rooms. The sum insured should reflect the full rebuild cost, not the market value, and if you lease the premises the landlord usually insures the building while you insure the contents and equipment.
Contents cover protects furniture, IT and fittings, and medical and dental equipment cover protects high-value items such as dental chairs, X-ray and diagnostic machines and computers against fire, flood, theft and damage, usually including equipment breakdown. See our surgery insurance guide for how buildings and contents sums insured are set.
Medical malpractice and treatment liability
Medical malpractice, also called treatment liability or professional indemnity, covers claims arising from clinical treatment, negligence or misdiagnosis. This is the defining cover for a surgery or practice and is not part of an ordinary business policy.
It protects the practice as an entity, its premises and its employed staff. Individual clinicians may also hold their own indemnity through a medical defence organisation, and public liability sits alongside it for injury to a patient on the premises.
Patient data and cyber cover
A practice holds confidential patient data and must protect it under data protection law (GDPR). Cyber cover responds to a data breach, a hacked system or a ransomware attack, covering the cost of notifying patients, restoring systems and dealing with any regulatory action.
It is often added to a surgery policy because a breach of patient records can be costly and damaging. Following the data-handling and security routines set out in the policy is what keeps this cover valid at the point of a claim.
Business interruption and refrigerated medicines
Business interruption replaces the income a practice loses when it cannot operate after an insured event such as a fire or flood. It covers lost income and the extra costs of getting back to normal, for example working from reduced rooms or a temporary site, over an agreed indemnity period.
It can also cover deterioration of refrigerated medicines and vaccines if a fridge fails, which for a practice holding stock is a real exposure. The indemnity period should be long enough to repair the premises, replace equipment and rebuild your patient list, which for many practices is 12 to 24 months. Setting it too short is one of the most common gaps in a practice policy.
Conditions: security and honest disclosure
Insurers set conditions in return for cover on a practice. These commonly cover fire protection across the building, such as a fire alarm, extinguishers, clear escape routes and fire doors, alongside good locks and an intruder alarm for the premises and the equipment and medicines held on site.
Meeting the fire and security conditions can reduce the premium, but they are also warranties: if the alarm is not maintained, a claim can be refused. Honest disclosure at quote stage is essential, since the Insurance Act 2015 makes undisclosed material facts grounds for a claim to be reduced or avoided.
Each cover meets a different need, and some are set by law rather than left to choice. Compare surgery insurance quotes to see how buildings, liability and income cover are arranged for your practice across the MyMoneyComparison.com broker panel.
Who needs surgery insurance?
Almost any medical or dental practice trading from premises needs surgery insurance, but the policy looks very different depending on the treatments offered, the equipment held and how many clinicians and staff you employ. A single package policy can bring together buildings and contents, medical and dental equipment, medical malpractice, public liability, employers' liability and business interruption, so an insured event does not put the practice's income at risk. Employers' liability becomes a legal requirement the moment you take on staff.
GP surgeries and practices
GP surgeries and practices providing NHS or private care. Cover typically needs buildings or contents and medical equipment, public liability, employers' liability for staff, medical malpractice for the care given, and cover for patient data.
Dental practices and dentists
Dental practices and dentists, from single surgeries to larger groups. Cover needs high-value dental equipment such as chairs and X-ray machines, medical malpractice, public liability, and employers' liability for the team.
Doctors, consultants and private clinics
Doctors, consultants and specialists running private clinics or seeing patients privately. Insurers rate these on the treatments offered and the malpractice limits needed, so a proper medical practice policy matters rather than an ordinary office policy.
Physiotherapy, chiropractic and osteopathy
Physiotherapy clinics, chiropractors and osteopaths providing hands-on treatment. Cover centres on medical malpractice for the treatment given, public liability, contents and equipment against fire, flood, theft and damage.
Opticians and eye clinics
Opticians and eye clinics testing sight and dispensing. Contents and high-value equipment cover matter most here, and insurers will ask about the equipment held, the treatments offered and the stock on site.
Aesthetic and cosmetic clinics
Aesthetic and cosmetic clinics offering treatments such as injectables and skin procedures. Cover needs medical malpractice for the treatments given, public liability, plus contents and equipment cover for what you hold.
Whatever you offer, cover should reflect how the practice actually operates. Compare surgery insurance quotes to match the policy to your treatments, staff and risk profile.
Surgery insurance vs standard business or office insurance
The two products are commonly confused but cover fundamentally different situations. Surgery insurance is built around a practice treating patients clinically, with the policy structured around the buildings or contents and high-value medical and dental equipment, medical malpractice and public liability, cover for staff, and lost income. A standard business or ordinary office policy covers an office or a retailer selling goods, and it does not extend to medical malpractice or treatment liability, high-value medical and dental equipment or refrigerated medicines. Running a practice on a standard business or office policy is one of the most common reasons a claim is reduced or declined.
| Comparison | Surgery insurance Medical and dental practices | Standard business or office insurance No clinical or treatment cover |
|---|---|---|
| How the premises are used | A practice treating patients clinically, with patients, clinicians and equipment on site through the day and confidential patient records held on the premises | A commercial office, or an ordinary shop selling goods over the counter. Neither is set up for treating patients or the clinical duty a practice owes for the care it provides |
| Underwriting basis | Rated as a medical or dental practice, with the treatments offered, the number of clinicians and staff, the equipment values, the malpractice limits, the premises, location and claims history all declared to the insurer | Rated as a standard business or an office. Clinical treatment and the liabilities that come with it sit outside what the policy assumes and are excluded |
| Loss of income | Business interruption cover included, replacing lost income and covering extra costs while you cannot operate after a fire, flood or other insured event, plus deterioration of refrigerated medicines and vaccines if a fridge fails | An office policy has limited trading income to protect, and a shop policy covers retail takings, not the income a practice loses when it cannot treat patients, nor spoiled medicines |
| Liability cover | Medical malpractice and treatment liability for clinical negligence and misdiagnosis, public liability for injury to a patient, plus employers' liability for staff. Commonly £2m, £5m or £10m | Personal or occupiers' liability only. Neither a standard business nor office policy covers medical malpractice or treatment liability for clinical care |
| Equipment and contents | Buildings at full rebuild cost, or contents if you lease, with high-value medical and dental equipment such as dental chairs, X-ray and diagnostic machines covered against fire, flood, theft and damage, usually including breakdown | Contents cover is for household or office belongings, and a shop policy covers goods for resale, not the high-value medical and dental equipment a practice relies on |
| Patient data and medicines | Confidential patient data protected with cyber cover for a breach under GDPR, and refrigerated medicines and vaccines covered against deterioration if a fridge fails. These practice exposures can be added or included | No cover for these exposures. A standard business or office policy does not reflect the patient data a practice holds or the medicines it stores |
| If you use the wrong product | Cover responds correctly, the claim is paid, and the policy matches the fact that the practice treats patients clinically and is responsible for the care it provides | Claim can be reduced or declined entirely. Running a practice on a standard business or office policy is a material non-disclosure that can void the policy |
Important: Cover detail shown is indicative of how UK surgery and medical practice policies are typically structured. It is illustrative only and does not constitute a quotation or offer of insurance. Specific policy wording, sums insured, indemnity periods and exclusions vary by insurer and individual circumstances. MyMoneyComparison.com Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, FCA registration number 916241.
If you run a medical or dental practice, a standard business or ordinary office policy will not cover it correctly. Public liability insurance and full surgery cover are arranged to match the way your practice actually operates.
Specialist Surgery Insurance
Specialist surgery insurance comparison since 2013
Since 2013, MyMoneyComparison.com has helped UK medical and dental practices find cover without the runaround. Whether you run a GP surgery, a dental practice, a private clinic, or a physiotherapy or aesthetic clinic, our specialist broker panel underwrites clinical practices every day. Compare specialist surgery insurance from a panel that understands buildings and contents, high-value medical and dental equipment, medical malpractice and treatment liability, public liability, employers' liability and business interruption across the full range of UK practice risks.
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Everything You Need to Know
Detailed answers to help you understand more about surgery insurance.
What is surgery insurance?
Surgery insurance is a business package that protects a medical or dental practice: its premises and contents, its specialist equipment, its liabilities to patients and staff, its clinical risk and its income if it cannot operate. It brings the covers a practice needs, including buildings and contents, medical and dental equipment, public and employers’ liability, medical malpractice and business interruption, into one policy.
Is surgery insurance a legal requirement?
Surgery insurance as a package is not compulsory, but employers’ liability is a legal requirement if you employ anyone, at £5m minimum. Most clinical practices must also register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), and medical malpractice or professional indemnity is expected for any clinical work you carry out.
What does surgery insurance cover?
Buildings and contents, medical and dental equipment, public liability, employers’ liability, medical malpractice or treatment liability, and business interruption as the core, plus cover for patient data and cyber. You build the package around your premises, the treatments you offer and the patients you care for.
Do I need employers' liability?
Yes, if you employ anyone, including nurses, hygienists and receptionists. The law requires at least £5m of employers’ liability, usually arranged at £10m, and you can be fined up to £2,500 for each day you are uninsured.
What is medical malpractice or treatment liability?
Medical malpractice, or treatment liability, covers claims arising from clinical treatment, negligence or misdiagnosis. It is the defining cover for a medical or dental practice and is not part of an ordinary business policy. The practice policy covers the entity, the premises and employed staff, and individual clinicians may also hold their own indemnity through a medical defence organisation.
Does it cover my medical and dental equipment?
Yes. Equipment cover protects high-value medical and dental equipment such as dental chairs, X-ray and diagnostic machines and computers, usually including equipment breakdown. This is a defining cover for a practice, where the specialist kit is often worth far more than the fit-out around it.
Does it cover patient data or cyber?
Yes, cyber cover can be added to the policy. It protects you against a breach of confidential patient data, which you have a duty to keep secure under data protection law (GDPR), and covers the costs of responding to an attack or a data loss.
Does it cover refrigerated medicines and vaccines?
Yes. Cover for deterioration of refrigerated medicines and vaccines pays for stock that is spoiled if a fridge breaks down or the power fails. For a practice that stores vaccines or temperature-sensitive medicines, this protects a real and often costly exposure.
How much does surgery insurance cost?
There is no fixed price. It depends on the treatments and specialties you offer, the number of clinicians and staff, the value of your medical and dental equipment, the medical malpractice limits you need, your premises, your annual turnover and your claims history. It is quoted by a specialist rather than set as a fixed online figure.
What affects the premium?
The treatments and specialties you offer, the number of clinicians and staff, the value of your equipment, the medical malpractice limits, your premises and location, your claims and clinical history and the data security you have in place all affect the premium.
Does surgery insurance cover public liability?
Yes, public liability is a core part of a surgery policy. It covers you if a patient or visitor is injured on the premises, for example a slip in the waiting room, or their property is damaged, with limits commonly £2m, £5m or £10m.
Why use a specialist medical insurance broker?
Practices vary a lot, from a small dental surgery to a large clinic with several specialties, so the right cover for one is not the right cover for another. A specialist can match the premises, equipment, medical malpractice, liability and business interruption covers to how you actually work. MyMoneyComparison.com connects you with FCA-authorised specialist brokers.
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