Veterinarian indemnity and liability insurance
Your line of work is unique, so we’ve tailored an insurance policy that best suits the needs of your profession to better protect your reputation and livelihood.
Principle partner of
If you're forced to defend your professional reputation, you'll want the best support behind you.
Our policies include three types of insurance in one designed specifically for veterinarians combining: professional indemnity insurance, public liability insurance, and product liability insurance.
Product liability
Insurance cover for liability for injury or property damage caused by goods sold or supplied by you. This can include cover for clients getting sick or injured from products you provide for example; Animal medications, flea treatments, bandages and other products.
Cover and benefits of this veterinarian insurance policy
Nil basic excess on liability claims
Run-off cover which protects you when you’ve ceased practising permanently
Cover for legal costs and expenses associated with complaints to your registration body, disciplinary proceedings or a coronial inquiry
Provides a 21-day cooling-off period, allowing you to change your mind after purchasing coverage
Ongoing education through our RiskHQ, providing you with relevant and informative information on the risks that matter to you
Round-the-clock support with 24 / 7 claim support line availability
To find out more or to get your hands on our policy wording, simply call us on 1800 810 213.
Common veterinarian FAQs
The law governs that any professional exercise the required skill to an appropriate level expected by that profession. A professional may be liable for financial loss, injury or damage arising from an act, error or omission of fault if the professional has not acted to the required level of skill deemed in that profession. Failure through this may result in the claimant (person who suffered the loss) be awarded for that loss, damage or injury.
Many professions require you to hold a professional indemnity insurance policy by law, such as Ahpra registered professions, but can be for other industries such as financial institutions also. Please check with your registration body or associations of your profession to know if it is required by law to have professional indemnity insurance. It is often also required by companies who take on contract workers that are not governed under the companies own insurance policy. It is acceptable for a company to ask you as the professional contractor to provide evidence of cover for professional indemnity before starting the contract period.
As stated above professional indemnity insurance covers you for breaches in relation to your professional duty. Liability insurance covers you for activity that results in personal injury or property damage as a result of your business activities that do not relate to your specific profession. An example may be someone who trips and is injured from spilled water within your office may be covered under liability, because it is your duty of care as business person to provide a safe environment. Whereas a person who suffers a loss or injury because of your professional treatment in relation to your job has caused it would usually be consider as an indemnity breach.
Generally business insurance is to cover the physical assets of your business for material damage loss and options for theft cover. It can also include cover for financial loss due to business interruption. Usually basic insurance does not cover breach of duty or flood cover, but if you speak to an insurance specialist it can often be added to your policy for a nominal fee.
Depending on the policy you are taking out, covers will often vary. At Guild insurance we specialise in making a policy to suit your business so that you are not over paying for covers you wouldn't normally need. The best thing to do is call 1800 810 213 to speak to an insurance specialist, they can find out what activities and structure your business is in to then provide you with adequate cover for you.
A certificate of currency (or COC for short) is a written document that confirms that your insurance policy is current and valid at a specific date and time. At Guild we provide easy access to your COC at any time within a few clicks of our online portal PolicyHub. If you are a new customer we can provide you with one post purchase.
Our partnership with AVA
Guild is the principal partner of AVA and has been for over 20 years.
We work closely with your association to tailor an insurance policy suited to your unique needs.
The AVA is Australia’s peak body for veterinary professionals, dedicated to advancing animal health, welfare, and veterinary science through advocacy, education, and professional support.
Insurance for students studying to be a veterinarian
As a student, we understand you’ve got enough to worry about between completing your studies, getting enough practice hours in and preparing yourself for working with clients. The last thing on your mind is insurance cover. But one small accident could set you back for life. And that’s why AVA has chosen Guild Insurance to look after your insurance needs.
Simply register with AVA under the Student Policy to be eligible for your cover.
Not just an insurance policy
Risk articles with RiskHQ
You can visit RiskHQ at any time to read up about the unique risks you face as an veterinarian. We cover a variety of risk management topics, from managing complaints, to social media risks, maintaining your vet, and much more.
Providing consent to veterinary care
Veterinarians would be well aware of their requirements to obtain informed consent from their clients before any procedure takes place. However, Guild Insurance’s vast experience in managing claims made against veterinarians has highlighted that many don’t meet all their informed consent requirements.
What is informed consent?
Informed consent is when a client makes a decision about treatment once they have been informed about treatment options as well as the benefits and risks involved. This definition highlights the difference between consent and informed consent. If a client hasn’t been made aware of the benefits and risks, their consent isn’t informed.
Informed consent isn’t required just for treatment. In many cases, informed consent will also be required before undertaking any assessment or investigations.
Informed consent and insurance claims
Informed consent can feature in insurance claims against veterinarians in a couple of ways.
It’s not uncommon when a client is unhappy following treatment for them to allege they weren’t made aware of the risks when they consented to treatment. Quite often they will allege the treatment was negligent and has resulted in harm or suffering. They then add that had they been informed of the possible risks, they wouldn’t have consented.
In other cases, clients may not make any allegation about consent, their complaint might solely focus on the clinical outcome. Yet when their claim is being managed it’s found that they didn’t give their informed consent prior to treatment being provided.
Authority to consent
Veterinarians have a responsibility to take reasonable steps to be sure the person giving their informed consent has the authority to do so. This will require them to establish the relationship between the animal and the person presenting, such as them being the owner or authorised agent of the owner of the animal.
The informed consent conversation
Informed consent requires a conversation between the treating veterinarian and the client. This conversation needs to occur prior to assessment and treatment. In emergency cases where the treatment is lifesaving, this conversation may need to be altered.
The conversation must:
- detail the recommended assessment and treatment as well as alternate treatment options
- include the expected benefits of that treatment
- provide information about the risks of the treatment
- allow time for the client to ask questions
- be held in language which can be understood by the client which means veterinarians should avoid technical clinical language.
- be tailored to that individual animal and their unique clinical needs
Recording informed consent
It’s imperative that veterinarians make a note in the clinical record regarding the client providing their informed consent. This needs to be more than ‘IC given’. The record needs to show what treatment options and risks were discussed as well as any questions asked by the client. The record should also show what the client consented to as well as what they didn’t consent to where relevant. In cases where a client’s chosen treatment path isn’t what the veterinarian has advised is most ideal, this needs to be reflected in the record.
The informed consent form
One area which leads to some confusion about informed consent is how to use an informed consent form. Having a client sign a form is seen as a quick and simplified way of the client providing their informed consent and keeping a record of that. However, they are unfortunately too often used inappropriately.
Signed forms aren’t a requirement. While recording consent is required, this doesn’t need to be done using a form. Notes in the clinical record of a conversation are sufficient. However, signed forms do provide additional evidence of what was discussed and agreed to.
Forms can’t be used to replace the informed consent conversation. A client cannot read a form and gain the same level of understanding as they would from a conversation with the veterinarian. Nor can they ask questions of the form.
A form should only be signed after the conversation with the veterinarian has been had and the client understands what it is they’re consenting to. Clients are occasionally asked to sign consent forms at reception before their animal has been seen by the veterinarian. As there has been no assessment or discussion about treatment at this stage, this can’t be considered informed consent as the client hasn’t been informed.
Informed consent is not a one-off event
Veterinarians regularly question how often their clients need to give informed consent. There is no set time frame for when informed consent conversations or signed forms need to be repeated. The requirement is that when an animal is receiving any assessment or treatment, this needs to have been discussed with the client and consented to. Therefore, informed consent should be an ongoing process. When there is any change in the treatment being provided, or if the animal has returned following a period of absence, informed consent needs to be revisited. A general ‘consent to all treatment’ for the life of the treating relationship is not appropriate.
Informed financial consent
As well as consenting to assessment and treatment, clients should also give their informed financial consent. This means they need to be provided with information about the expected cost of treatment before this treatment commences.
When treatment doesn’t progress as planned
Treatment won’t always progress as planned; it’s not uncommon to be part way through a procedure and realise that what was planned and therefore consented to now needs to change. Where a veterinarian knows this is a possibility, they should discuss the various treatment paths with the client and have the client agree to more than one treatment option should the situation change mid procedure.
In summary…
There is no one right way to undertake an informed consent conversation and process. Veterinarians must adapt what’s discussed for the animal they’re treating and its unique circumstances, as well as the circumstances of the client. However, what must occur in all cases is that the client is informed of and understands the proposed treatment, alternate treatment options and the risks involved. Only with this information can they give their informed consent. The veterinarian must also be sure to make a record of this informed consent discussion in the clinical record.
- Veterinarians
- Professional
Insurance for veterinarian businesses
If you own a veterinarian and need insurance for your building, contents and more. Visit our information on business insurance for veterinarian businesses.
*Coverage up to $20 million requires your selection of cover up to this limit during the quote and purchase process.
Write a review Average rating: