News of the World says poor nurses to pay rich doctors’ PI
The News of the World reported that nurses earning £20,000 to £25,000 will have to pay more than £1,000 a year in professional indemnity (PI) insurance.
Health Secretary Alan Johnson says forcing nurses to have professional indemnity against medical negligence claims would bring them in line with doctors and dentists, who must have it to practise-but earn considerably more, the paper said.
At present nurses are covered by the NHS, but with costs of the NHS Litigation Authority running into hundreds of millions a year the Department of Health want individuals to insure themselves.
Unions are now in talks with ministers to try to scrap the plans. A Department of Health spokesman said: "We are talking to the nursing unions and their professional bodies about their concerns."
The News of the World said nurses we “sickened” by the proposals, first reported by Insurance Times earlier this month.
