Three Pillars of Clinical
Financial Protection
Each area addresses a distinct financial vulnerability that arises from your clinical career. Together, they form a comprehensive protection framework.
Key Person Income Protection
If illness or injury prevents you from practising, this policy replaces a substantial portion of your income — structured to pay into your limited company and eligible for corporation tax relief.
- Own occupation definition available
- Benefit period to retirement age
- Deferred periods tailored to NHS sick pay
- Covers private practice income specifically
Most standard income protection policies are designed for employed professionals. Clinical income — particularly private practice — requires a different approach to underwriting and benefit structure.
Key Person Critical Illness
A lump sum paid to your limited company on diagnosis of a specified serious condition. Structured correctly, the TPD definition can protect you if you are permanently unable to perform your clinical duties.
- 164+ conditions covered on leading policies
- Own Occupation TPD available when correctly placed
- Company-owned, corporation tax efficient
- Covers the financial impact on your practice
How the policy is structured for your specialty matters enormously to whether a TPD claim is paid. The right policy definition can mean the difference between a valid claim and a declined one.
Relevant Life & Shareholder Protection
Tax-efficient life cover written through your limited company, combined with shareholder protection to ensure business continuity if a partner or director dies or becomes critically ill.
- Premiums paid by the company, not personally
- Outside the estate for IHT purposes
- Shareholder agreements aligned to cover
- Business valuation and continuity planning
Relevant Life is one of the most tax-efficient protection structures available to limited company directors — yet it remains significantly underused among clinical professionals.
Specialist Advice for
Clinical Professionals
Broadbench works exclusively with clinicians and medical professionals who operate through a limited company. This focus means we understand the specific financial structures, tax considerations, and risk profiles that apply to your situation — and we know which policies are genuinely appropriate.
Our advice is entirely independent. We are not tied to any insurer or product provider, and we charge no fees — our remuneration comes from the insurers we place business with, at no additional cost to you.
Why Policy Definitions Matter
More Than Price
The difference between a policy that pays and one that does not is rarely the premium. It is almost always the definition.
Any Occupation or Functional Activity
Some insurers apply a more restrictive TPD or incapacity definition to medical professionals — meaning a claim is only valid if you are unable to perform any work at all, not just your clinical role. A surgeon who can no longer operate but could theoretically perform administrative work may receive nothing.
- Pays only if you cannot do any job
- Functional Activity Tests may apply
- Moral hazard clauses can restrict claims
- Often invisible in standard comparison tools
Own Occupation Definition
Leading providers recognise surgeons and consultants as low-risk professionals. When a policy is placed correctly, the TPD definition pays out if you can no longer perform your duties as a clinician — even if you could still work in another capacity. This is the standard that clinical professionals should insist upon.
- Pays if you cannot perform your clinical role
- Own Occupation TPD available on correctly placed policies
- Surgeons recognised as low-risk professionals
- Specialist placement ensures the right definition applies
Not all protection policies treat surgeons the same way. The TPD definition that applies to your policy depends on how it is structured and which product is used — and the difference between a policy that pays and one that does not can come down to details that are invisible in a standard comparison. This is precisely the kind of specialist knowledge we bring to every case.
