Most NHS doctors assume that if they become unable to work, the NHS will look after them. It will — but only for a defined period. After that, the income stops. For a doctor with a mortgage and financial commitments, that gap is a serious risk.
How NHS sick pay actually works
NHS sick pay entitlement is based on length of service. In your first years of employment, full sick pay lasts a matter of months before reducing to half pay — and then stopping entirely. For resident and foundation doctors, who are often in their first years of NHS employment, the window of full pay is narrow. And for locum doctors, there is no employer sick pay at all.
Own occupation cover
For medical professionals, the most important feature of an income protection policy is that it pays on an own occupation basis — meaning it pays if you are unable to perform your specific clinical role, not just any job. This distinction matters enormously for a profession where the ability to practise clinically is everything.
When to arrange cover
The best time to take out income protection is when you are young and healthy. The cost increases with age and with any changes to your health, so the terms available now are almost always better than the terms that will be available later.
How does income protection interact with NHS sick pay?
We design the deferred period on your policy to align with when your sick pay runs out — so cover begins at the point you need it, and you are not paying for cover that duplicates what you already receive.