Doubts and Frequently Asked Questions - Professional Liability Insurance

1 - Who is entitled to the Professional Civil Liability Insurance of the Order of Physiotherapists?

All Physiotherapists registered with the Order who have not had their registration suspended or cancelled.

2 - From what point am I entitled to the Professional Civil Liability Insurance of the Order of Physiotherapists?

From the date on which the professional card is issued, which coincides with the moment when payment is made for membership of the Order of Physiotherapists.

3 - What is the starting date for the Professional Civil Liability Insurance of the Order of Physiotherapists?

It has been in force since 8 June 2022 and was renewed in 2025.

4 - How much do I have to pay for Professional liability insurance provided by the Order of Physiotherapists?

No payment is necessary, as this is a benefit provided by the Order to all Physiotherapists with active registration.

5 - In what situations am I no longer entitled to the Professional Civil Liability Insurance of the Order of Physiotherapists?

From the moment your registration is suspended or cancelled.

6 - What does Professional Liability Insurance cover?

 Professional Liability Insurance guarantees the payment of compensation of up to €100,000 which, in accordance with the legislation in force, may be demanded of the Physiotherapist as a result of an error, omission or negligence committed by the Physiotherapist in the exercise of their profession.

This Professional Civil Liability Insurance also has associates:

- Defence cost of 20,000 €;

Monthly allowance for judicial disqualification from professional practice - under the terms of this

cover, the Insurer pays a monthly amount corresponding to the average remuneration of the last 12 months prior to the claim, up to a maximum of €3,000.00.

Operating liability - guarantees the civil liability of the Physiotherapist, derived from the risks inherent to their capacity as owner of the building or fraction and/or administrator of the buildings assigned to the pursuit of their activity as a Physiotherapist, in the amount of €20,000.

7 - I already have Professional Liability Insurance. Can I keep both?

It is not advisable to keep both. The Fidelidade - Companhia de Seguros S.A. policy (carried out by Willis, Corretores de Seguros S.A.) is only valid if, at the time of the event, the event causing the damage is not guaranteed by another policy, as indicated in the policy's specific conditions and guarantees, which can be consulted in the area reserved for members of the Order of Physiotherapists. After careful analysis, if you decide to keep the professional civil liability insurance of the Order of Physiotherapists, you should waive the one you already have. If you decide to waive the Order's insurance, you must communicate this decision in writing to: geral@ordemdosfisioterapeutas.pt

8 - What should I do in the event of a claim?

In the event of a claim, you must complete the "Civil Liability Claims” and send it to the insurer's Claims Department via e-mail: sinistros.pt@wtwco.com.

If expenses have already been incurred when the claim is reported, you should send the "Expenses document" properly. The expenses form can also be sent later, as long as the policy number appears on it (it can be placed above the "claim number").

Both documents can be found in the Reserved Area, under the Civil Liability Insurance > Forms tab.

9 - If I decide to cancel the Association's Professional Liability Insurance, do I get a discount on my membership fees?

The amount of the membership fees has nothing to do with the insurance, which is a response found by the Board of the Order of Physiotherapists to the legal obligation for all members of a professional organisation to have professional civil liability insurance.

10 - If I want to increase the amount of cover, can I do so?

You can also negotiate additional policy conditions with Fidelidade - Companhia de Seguros S.A. or any other insurance company. In the case of the former, you can contact the account manager, Dr André Amorim, at the following email address: andre.amorim@wtwco.com

11 - When does Professional Liability Insurance cover a claim?

The insurance covers claims made for the first time during the period in which the policy is active. It can also cover claims made up to 12 months after the end of the contract, provided that the error, act or omission occurred during the period in which the insurance was in force and that the case was not previously known to the insured or the insurer.

12 - What is the excess associated with the Professional Civil Liability Insurance of the Order of Physiotherapists?

There is no franchise.

13 - How can I contact the insurance company?

You can contact the account manager, Dr André Amorim, at the following email address: andre.amorim@wtwco.com

Pedro Maciel Barbosa

Specialist physiotherapist at the Matosinhos Local Health Unit Sub-coordinator for Primary Health Care, Matosinhos Local Health Unit Visiting Assistant Professor at the Porto School of Health Member of the Board of Directors of the Foundation for Health - SNS Member of the General Council of the Order of Physiotherapists

Carlos Sand

Carlos Areia has been a physiotherapist since 2013, and has worked in various hospitals, clinics and clubs in both Portugal and the UK. He began his academic career at Oxford University in 2016, where he led a clinical trial comparing physiotherapy vs surgery in anterior cruciate injuries in 32 hospitals in England. In 2018 she moved to the neurosciences department, where she developed her own studies on remote monitoring of vital signs, which were implemented during the pandemic. Here he discovered his passion for data, and in 2022, he joined Digital Science as a Data Scientist. He completed his PhD earlier this year, and has more than 60 publications in journals such as The Lancet, BMJ, Cochrane, among others. He is also an honorary lecturer at Oxford Brookes University and a consultant in clinical research.

Eduardo José Brazete Carvalho Cruz

PhD in Physiotherapy from the University of Brighton, UK. Post-Doctorate in Epidemiology from the National School of Public Health at the New University of Lisbon.
Coordinator of the Studies and Planning Office of the Order of Physiotherapists. Coordinating Professor of the Physiotherapy Department of the School of Health of the Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal (ESS-IPS). President of the ESS-IPS Technical-Scientific Council. Coordinator of the Physiotherapy Department at ESS-IPS. Integrated Researcher at the Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC) (a partnership between FCM-UNL, the National School of Public Health, the University of Évora, the Lisbon Institute of Global Mental Health and Santo Espírito Hospital, Terceira Island, Azores).

Sara Souto Miranda

Sara Souto Miranda has a bachelor's and master's degree in physiotherapy from the University of Aveiro, and a postgraduate qualification in adult respiratory physiotherapy from the same institution. In 2023 she completed her double doctorate in Rehabilitation Sciences/Health, Medicine and Life Sciences at the Universities of Aveiro and Maastricht (Netherlands) and is currently working as a technical-scientific advisor to the Studies and Planning Office (GEP) of the Order of Physiotherapists, and as a guest lecturer at the Piaget Institute in Vila Nova de Gaia. As a member of the Respiratory Research and Rehabilitation Laboratory at the University of Aveiro (Lab3R), she has carried out applied research in which she has assessed and treated patients with respiratory pathology, having taken part in 6 research projects. Throughout her career she has published 19 scientific articles in international peer-reviewed journals with an impact factor, 1 book chapter and more than 50 abstracts in conference proceedings. She was a research volunteer at the Ciro rehabilitation centre (Centre for expertise in chronic organ failure) in the Netherlands, and is currently a member of the Guideline Methodology Network of European Respiratory Society. She was honoured by European Lung Foundation e European Respiratory Society for carrying out patient-centred research, by the Directorate General for Higher Education with a merit grant for his master's degree, and by the Ciro Centre with a grant to support research abroad.

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