Revised PII standard for all medical radiation practitioners takes effect from today

01 Jul 2016

In December 2015, the Board published a revised registration standard for professional indemnity insurance (PII) arrangements that takes effect from today.

The revised standard now applies to all registered medical radiation practitioners except those with non-practising registration.

What do you need to do?

It is your responsibility as a medical radiation practitioner to ensure that you comply with the new standard by the time you renew your registration, which is due by 30 November 2016.

What has changed?

The key change in the new PII arrangements registration standard is that the minimum amount of cover specified in the current standard ($10 million for a single claim) has been removed from the standard.

The new standard aims to take a more contemporary and flexible approach, and requires registrants who are taking out their own insurance to do an objective self-assessment, informed by policies provided by insurance providers, to ensure they have adequate and appropriate insurance arrangements or professional indemnity cover for their practice.

Further changes include requirements for:

• civil liability cover 
• retroactive cover, and 
• automatic reinstatement

In addition the Board has removed the requirement for run-off cover to be unlimited, instead recognising the usual statutory arrangements that exist to provide adequate avenues for patient compensation.

As with the current standard, practitioners employed in public health facilities around Australia will meet the new standard by virtue of the indemnity arrangements that exist for the public sector employees.

The Board has published Guidelines: Professional Indemnity Insurance arrangements, which provides further information for practitioners and insurance providers about the requirements for professional indemnity insurance arrangements. Additional resources are detailed below.

Transition period to meet the new standard

The Board published the standard well in advance of its commencement to provide medical radiation practitioners adequate time to ensure that their arrangements for PII will meet the new registration standard. To ensure a smooth transition to the new standard, the Board has allowed for a transition period to meet the standard. 

All medical radiation practitioners must meet the new standard by the time they renew their registration which is due by 30 November 2016.

Until that time, it is acceptable that your PII arrangements meet the Board’s registration standard for PII arrangements dated 1 July 2010. However, if your PII policy is due for renewal in the meantime you should ensure that your new policy meets the new standard.

What if your PII policy is not due for renewal until after your registration is due for renewal?

If your PII arrangements policy is not due for renewal before you renew your registration, you will need to contact your insurer, and if necessary, have your policy adjusted so that it meets the new standard by the time you renew your registration.

The Board encourages all medical radiation practitioners to review the new registration standard to check whether their current PII arrangements will need to be adjusted to meet the requirements of the new standard.

What if your registration is not due for renewal by 30 November 2016?

Medical radiation practitioners whose registration is not due for renewal by 30 November 2016 must meet the requirements of the new standard by 30 November 2016.

Additional resources

More information about the new PII arrangements standard, including the brief consultation report, FAQs and a fact sheet, is available on the Professional indemnity insurance arrangements page of the AHPRA website.