A new scheme has been launched by NHS Resolution to meet liabilities arising from the special healthcare arrangements being put in place in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The scheme, which will be known as the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Coronavirus (CNSC), has been designed to respond to the new contracts being put in place for healthcare arrangements to respond to coronavirus such as those with the Independent Sector and organisations supporting testing arrangements. Membership of this new indemnity scheme is not required and cover will be provided automatically under the relevant contracts.
The scheme has been established under the new powers delivered under the Coronavirus Act 2020 and will indemnify healthcare providers for any clinical negligence liabilities which arise where existing indemnity arrangements (such as the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts) do not apply. Where NHS Trusts are hosting special healthcare arrangements, for example the NHS Nightingale hospitals, then clinical negligence liabilities will be covered by CNST.
A copy of the letter sent to providers on 2nd April 2020 from NHS Resolution, NHS England and NHS Improvement and the Department of Health and Social Care can be viewed here. A Q&A of the indemnity arrangements applying to the coronavirus pandemic can be found here. Any general queries concerning the arrangements should be directed by email to CNSC@resolution.nhs.uk.
This cover is in addition to the arrangements already in place to indemnify healthcare workers for the NHS work they already do, through state indemnity schemes operated by NHS Resolution on behalf of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care which will continue.
