Your earning power is your most valuable asset. We arrange high-income protection that replaces up to 70% of a consultant or GP income if illness or injury stops you working.
Doctors usually qualify for full own-occupation cover across income protection and critical illness, and many insurers offer an NHS sick-pay guarantee for GMC-registered medics. The strongest terms are reserved for clinicians, so the right placement matters.
INCOME PROTECTION — YOUR #1 PRIORITY
What happens to a £120,000 income if you can't work?
GP partners and locums get no employer sick pay, and even salaried NHS doctors see pay drop sharply after months off. Income protection replaces a large share of your earnings — month after month — until you recover or retire.
Replace up to ~70% of earnings, tax-free, on a high income
Own-occupation cover — paid if you can't work as a doctor specifically
Index-linked so your benefit keeps pace with your income
Covers self-employed GP partners and locums with no sick pay
≈ £7,000/mo
Example monthly benefit on a £120,000 income (up to ~70%)
For a high-earning doctor, the single biggest financial risk is losing the ability to earn. Here's what to protect.
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A high income to replace
A consultant or GP income is hard to replace — income protection maintains your lifestyle and commitments if illness strikes.
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No sick pay for partners
GP partners and locums have no employer safety net — protection is entirely your responsibility.
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Burnout & stress
Long hours and high pressure make mental-health-inclusive income protection essential, not optional.
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Larger mortgages & outgoings
Higher earners carry bigger mortgages and school fees that depend on your monthly income continuing.
Recommended Cover
The Right Protection for Doctors
Based on the specific risks of your profession, here's what we typically recommend — ranked by priority.
TOP PRIORITY
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Income Protection
★ Top priority for doctors
Replaces up to 70% of a high income, month after month, if you can't work — vital for GP partners and locums with no sick pay. Own-occupation and indexed.
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Critical Illness Cover
Lump sum on diagnosis
A significant tax-free sum on diagnosis of cancer, heart attack or another serious condition — funds treatment and time off.
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Life Insurance
High-value family cover
Substantial cover to clear large mortgages and protect family lifestyle and school fees if the worst happens.
Why Your Job Is Different
How We Get Doctors a Better Deal
Mainstream insurers often misprice or misunderstand your profession. Here's how we fix that.
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High-income protection specialists
We arrange large monthly benefits and £1m+ policies, handling the additional underwriting smoothly.
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Own-occupation as standard
You're paid if you can't work as a doctor — not just any job — which matters most for specialists.
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Indexed cover
We build in inflation protection so your benefit keeps pace with your income over a long career.
Already covered?
Two policies at the same price can pay out very differently
If you already have life insurance, critical illness or income protection, get a free plain-English review — what it does well, where it's weak, and what switching would gain and lose you.
Typically up to around 70% of gross earnings, paid tax-free. On a £120k income that's roughly £7,000/month — we arrange high-income policies regularly.
Do GP partners get sick pay?
No — as self-employed partners you have no employer sick pay, which makes income protection the single most important policy you can hold.
What is own-occupation cover and why does it matter?
It pays out if you can't perform your specific role as a doctor, even if you could technically do other work — the strongest definition for specialists.
Can I cover a £150k+ income, and is medical history a problem?
Yes. We arrange large-benefit policies and handle complex or larger-sum underwriting discreetly with the right insurer.
Life Insurance & Income Protection
Doctor FAQs — Life Insurance & Income Protection
Common questions UK doctors ask about protecting their income and family.
How much income protection can a GP or doctor get?
Typically up to around 70% of gross earnings, paid tax-free. On a £120,000 income that is roughly £7,000 a month — we arrange high-income policies regularly.
Do GP partners get sick pay?
No. As self-employed partners you have no employer sick pay, which makes income protection the single most important policy you can hold.
How much does income protection cost for a doctor?
Higher earners pay more in absolute terms because the benefit is larger, but the cost per pound of cover is competitive. We balance benefit level, deferred period and budget.
Why does own-occupation cover matter for doctors?
It pays if you can't work in your medical specialty, even if you could technically do another job — the strongest protection for a skilled clinician.
How much life insurance does a doctor need?
Often around 10 times income, or enough to clear the mortgage and support the family and school fees. We size it precisely with you.
Can I get cover with a complex medical history?
Yes. We handle larger-sum and complex underwriting discreetly and place difficult cases with the right insurer.
Role-Specific Detail
Doctor-specific questions, answered properly
The operational detail that decides claims for doctors — sick pay schemes, licences, contracts and the wording that matters.
How is income protection arranged differently for a GP partner versus a salaried GP?
Partners are self-employed with no employer sick pay, so cover usually needs a shorter waiting period and a benefit built on profit share rather than salary. Salaried GPs typically have a practice sick pay arrangement to bridge, so a longer deferred period is often more cost-effective. The right structure follows the contract.
Can locum GPs get income protection?
Yes, and it is particularly important because locum work carries no sick pay at all. Insurers will normally average recent earnings across your sessions, so having accounts or invoices for the last year or two helps establish the benefit level and speeds up underwriting.
Does the NHS Pension Scheme ill-health retirement cover me if I cannot work?
Only partially, and the criteria are strict. Tier 1 and Tier 2 ill-health retirement require you to be permanently incapable of your own role, or of any regular employment, judged against scheme rules. Income protection responds to a broader range of situations and pays while you are off, not only if you retire.
Can I insure private practice income alongside NHS earnings?
Yes. We can build the benefit on total earnings across NHS, private and any locum work. This matters because a policy set up only on NHS pensionable pay can substantially under-insure a doctor with a meaningful private list.
Would a GMC investigation or suspension be covered?
Generally no. Income protection responds to illness and injury, not to regulatory or disciplinary events. However, if the stress of an investigation causes a diagnosed mental health condition that stops you working, that illness may itself be claimable under a policy that includes mental health cover.
Does a portfolio career across several roles complicate cover?
Not usually. Many GPs now combine sessional practice work with appraisal, teaching, occupational health or CCG roles. We can build one policy on total earnings, and having a mixed role can occasionally help because it demonstrates you are not wholly dependent on clinical work.
Is medical indemnity the same as income protection?
No — they cover completely different things. Indemnity protects you against claims arising from your clinical practice. Income protection replaces your own earnings if illness or injury stops you working. Doctors need both, and one is never a substitute for the other.