Welcome to the latest edition of Partnership eNews!
This is our regular update to all partners outlining the latest initiatives we are working on to provide your members with the best possible insurance, services and risk management resources.
If you’d like further information on any of these topics feel free to contact us at any time.
Senate inquiry into Health Practitioner Regulations National Law
As you may know, the Senate is undertaking an inquiry into the complaints mechanism administered under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (National Law).
Since we work so closely with our allied health partners in dealing with claims and complaints, Guild Insurance and our dedicated law firm Meridian Lawyers attended the Senate Committee Hearing in February to offer a statement on our position.
Guild Insurance’s representative was Rhett Clayton, National Liability Claims Manager, who provided a summary of Guild’s exposure across a large cross-section of specialities regulated under the National Law. He also explained our close partnership with various peak bodies that fall under the National Law and how Meridian Lawyers manage these complaints on behalf of our clients across Australia.
Some key points I would like to share with you regarding our position are:
- We believe the National Law provides a suitable framework however there is a lack of consistency in process between the States
- There are strengths and weaknesses for each complaints model and the focus of any review should focus on taking the best of each to create national best practice
- Practitioners should expect the same process, treatment and outcome under the National Law, regardless of where and what they practice.
Guild submitted seven suggested areas for improvement to the complaints mechanism.
The Senate Committee issued their final report on 10 May 2017. Out of their 14 recommendations in the report, six were in line with our submissions for improvements in the process and the National law.
Our ability to influence government exemplifies the hard work and expertise of our team, and how we strive to make real change to help our partners on all levels.
You can view the full report here.If you would like further details about our inquiry submission, please call Rhett Clayton on (02) 7200 2886 or contact me directly.
Strength in relationships
Relationships are fundamental to our success. Building on relationships with associations is how we started after all, so it makes perfect sense that we continue this legacy by entering into new partnerships.
We were delighted to be recently appointed by Paramedics Australasia to work with them on their journey toward national registration.
Paramedics Australasia is the peak professional body representing paramedics. There are over 13,000 paramedics across Australia in a mix of public, defence and private practitioners.
The paramedics profession will become the 15th AHPRA registered profession over the next 12 months and we are proud that they chose us to support them on their journey. It means Guild now insure 12 of the 15 healthcare professions nationally regulated by AHPRA.
We have also recently partnered with the Australian College of Perioperative Nurses (ACORN).
ACORN has approximately 6,000 members, with their members focusing on pre- and post-operative care, as well as during surgery.
The official launch of our insurance product for ACORN is scheduled for June 2017.
And because we understand nurses are always on their feet and with varied rosters, we’ve ensured that ACORN members can take control of their insurance at their own convenience through our online portal, Policy hub.
This is the third professional body of nurses which has endorsed Guild as their preferred insurer.
Again, this makes perfect sense considering our extensive background and expert knowledge in insuring allied health professionals.
We’re very honoured to welcome ACORN into the Guild family and excited to work towards a successful future together.
Mandatory data breach legislation
In February, the Federal Government announced mandatory data breach notification legislation will come into effect in February 2018. This means businesses will be legally required to contact individuals who may be impacted by a data breach from this time.
What is a data breach?
A data breach is when personal information your organisation has is lost or has been subject to unauthorised access.
For example, a computer with a customer’s personal information is lost, or if a database with personal information has been hacked.
In this context, a notifiable data breach is when this breach is likely to result in serious harm to any individuals whose information has been violated.
This could happen to your organisation or your members’ businesses. If this does happen, the law states each individual and the OAIC need to be notified as soon as possible.
Besides the stress of having a data breach occur in the first place, there is additional stress and significant cost involved in terms of time, resourcing and financial burden.
It is important that you and your members are aware of the mandatory data breach legislation, and take steps to ensure:
- a data breach does not occur in the first place, and
- processes are in place for notification if it does occur.
Guild’s Cyber Insurance helps with both of the above scenarios, not to mention a plethora of other protections against cyber-attacks.
For further information about the new legislation, please visit the OAIC website.
To find out more about Cyber Insurance and how it can help your organisation and your members’ interests, visit our website or speak with your Client Partnership Executive.
Working together for mutual benefit
The relationships we foster with our partners extend further than simply insuring what your members value; we want to add value for them.
We work with your association to develop dedicated products and services with your members at the forefront of every decision we make.
As such, I am delighted to inform you that in early March the NSW Government formally approved Guild Insurance’s license to offer Workers Compensation to early learning and childcare centres in NSW.
This new product is called Guild Early Learning (GEL).
Initially we will be contacting our existing early learning customers to inform them of GEL, explaining the benefits of having all their insurances with the one provider.
Secondly, we will be contacting remaining early learning centres to promote GEL, as well as our extensive suite of free injury prevention tools and resources targeting workers safety.
The development of GEL is a very proud moment for us. It’s testament of how a strong partnership can produce mutually beneficial results and ultimately further supports your members’ best interests.
Risk management and engagement
Part of our business purpose is to ensure your members are protected if the unfortunate were to happen. However, another component of what we do is to help your members avoid incidents in the first place.
We have a range of free risk management tools and resources available for your members to use at any time. Our risk management experts are continuously working on additional articles, infographics, animations and whitepapers on a variety of topics.
As part of our risk management engagement program, we send regular communications to your members on a variety of topics.
In the last two quarters we have distributed the following:
- ‘If it’s not written down, it didn’t happen…’ [Clinical records]
- ‘What would happen if you can’t operate your business?’ [Business interruption]
- ‘Don’t let your business go up in smoke’ [Fire prevention]
- ‘Think a cyber-attack won’t happen to you? Think again.’ [Cybercrime]
In the coming months we will be distributing a whitepaper about the importance of communication, and an engagement piece on how to best manage client expectations.
You can find our entire suite of risk management material on RiskHQ.com.au. Feel free to browse and share with your members at any time.
Working with our partners to help our future leaders
Our partnerships are our strength and their importance to us goes beyond insurance.
A fantastic example of this extension is the Health and Leadership Program.
The Health and Leadership Program is the brainchild of the Australian Dental Association Victorian Branch and now Guild Insurance along with seven different allied health associations take part annually.
Each Guild partner association nominates future leaders in their field to take part in the program which is facilitated by Leadership Victoria.
The six month program involves some on-campus learning with case studies and self-development, as well as a mentoring program.
The highly interactive course provides our future leaders with real-life examples and some challenging self-awareness modules which will culminate in the participants being able to stride forward in the next stage of their careers.
Guild Insurance is delighted to be a part of such an important initiative, and shows that there is real, tangible value in working together to help the future leaders of your profession reach their full potential.
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