📖 Doctor Guide
The Doctor’s Guide to Income Protection & Life Cover
A strong income, a big mortgage and — if you are a partner — no sick pay behind you. Here is how protection is usually built for medics.
Get a Free Quote →The conversation with a salaried hospital doctor and a GP partner looks quite different. Employed doctors lean on occupational sick pay and the NHS scheme; partners and locums have neither, so their entire household runs on their ability to keep working. That changes what ‘enough cover’ means.
For higher earners the detail that earns its keep is indexation — letting the benefit rise each year so a policy taken out today still reflects your income in a decade.
Quick Answers
Doctor Cover — Quick Questions
How much of my income can realistically be covered?
Typically up to around 70%, paid tax-free on a personal plan. On a six-figure income that is a substantial monthly figure, and we are comfortable arranging the larger benefits and the extra underwriting they involve.
As a partner, what am I relying on if I fall ill?
Largely yourself. There is no employer sick pay in a partnership, which is why income protection tends to sit at the top of the list for partners and locums.
Why does ‘own occupation’ keep coming up?
Because your income rests on practising medicine specifically. Own-occupation cover pays if you cannot do that, even if you could technically do other work — the strongest definition for a specialist.
Will a past health issue complicate things?
It can mean fuller underwriting on larger sums, but it rarely means no. We handle these discreetly with insurers used to professional clients.
Good to know: This guide is general information to help you weigh up your options — it is not personal financial advice. Cover, premiums, exclusions and any tax treatment depend on your individual circumstances and the insurer’s assessment. LifeInsuranceForMe is an FCA-regulated insurance broker; speak to us for a recommendation tailored to you.