Ever wondered what vet practices use their locum cover for?
Locum Insurance for peace of mind
Here Lloyd & Whyte share some real life cases studies
It is no secret that working as a UK vet can be a stressful occupation.
A previous BVA study found that a third of vets had significant concerns about their mental health and 27% of veterinary students in the UK and Ireland had actively suffered from depression during their studies1.
Veterinary surgeons in the UK are three to four times more likely than the general population to die by suicide (Platt et al., 2010).
Hence it is no surprise that locum cover for veterinarians who are off on long term sick due to mental health issues proves invaluable for some veterinary practices.
This was indeed the case for one veterinary practice when one of the practice Directors suffered an absence of 50 weeks caused by stress and mental health issues. After a full absence period, the claimants practice was able to facilitate a phased return for them to work on shorter hours so they could ease themselves back in to the workplace, with the policy covering the remaining hours not worked . A benefit of over £63,000 was paid to the practice for the time they were off.
High risk necessitates Locum Insurance cover
Over the years, being a vet is cited as being one of the most dangerous occupations there is. A past BVA report revealed that more than 6 out of 10 vets working with production animals on farms suffered injuries in a 12-month snapshot, with equine vets being injured more often than firefighters. The report commissioned by the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) showed that equine vets carry the highest risk of injury of any civilian occupation.
These statistics are certainly reflected in many of the locum insurance claims seen at Lloyd & Whyte.
One vet injured his knee when treating a horse which resulted in surgery. He had a total absence of 35 weeks off work, followed by a phased return over one month. Fortunately the Locum Insurance policy taken out through Lloyd & Whyte paid out a sum of over £43,000 which allowed for other members of his practice staff to work additional hours and duties.
And it’s not just horses that cause bodily damage to vets. One vet had his front teeth kicked out by a cow. The practice policy used under the dental section allowed for a claim of £2,445 to be paid, meaning he could soon smile again and his practice was able to continue smoothly.
Injuries sustained away from work, such as by a vet who fractured his foot whilst on holiday, can also impact on your practice. In this case it meant an absence of 22 weeks for one unlucky skier. Their travel insurers assisted overseas and the locum policy cover commenced upon his return to UK. He was able to perform some duties on shorter hours after a period of total absence and the locum policy provided by Lloyd & Whyte covered the hours not worked until he returned to normal duties/hours. The practice used the claim payment of £27,486 for a locum and additional hours worked by existing staff.
Operation ‘Locum Insurance Cover’ saves the day (and months thereafter!)
When one of the leading vets in a practice suffered complications following emergency appendectomy surgery, she was reassured to know that the Locum Insurance policy she had taken out through Lloyd & Whyte was able to cover her absence of 19 weeks. She returned to work on a phased basis, whilst the claim payment of over £26,000 allowed the practice to continue.
1. https://vetfutures.org.uk/resource/report-of-the-survey-of-the-bva-voice-of-the-profession-panel/
2. https://www.bva.co.uk/news-and-blog/news-article/majority-of-farm-animal-vets-report-being-injured-at-work-bva-survey-finds
3. https://equusmagazine.com/blog-equus/risky-business-british-horse-vets-injury-profession25298-25298
4.http://www.beva.org.uk/home
