GPs forcing nurses to take out personal indemnity 'cover

摘要

Some GPs are trying to force practice nurses to take out personal indemnity cover after the RCN changed the conditions of its own scheme.The college insists there is no need for practice nurses to take out such cover because GPs, as employers, are legally responsible for the actions of their employees at work.The change to the RCN's indemnity scheme took effect on January 1 and relates to clinical negligence claims. Previously the college would reimburse GPs' insurers when they settled a case involving a practice nurse member. But this costs up to ?million a year and other NHS employers did not recoup costs in this way.In an advice leaflet for GPs, the college claims a number of practices have adopted unfair and illegal approaches. Cambridgeshire advanced nurse practitioner Jennie Aston said the document will help avoid confusion. 'There are a lot of fears circulating among practice staff about the changes,' she said.