Compliance and Risk

Compliance and RiskInsurance, Audit and RiskInsurance policiesPublic and employers liability and clinical trials

Liability and clinical trials

The University is insured for public liability, employer’s liability and clinical trials.

Public liability

Public liability insurance covers the University’s proven legal liability to third parties (ie, students, visitors or members of the public) for death or injury or damage to their property. Our insurance policy information and contact details can be found  here.

The policy excess is £250.

If a Faculty or Service is planning a special event either on or off campus, it may be necessary to inform the University's insurers to check that liability cover is in place. To confirm this, please contact us to discuss your event.

Employer's liability

Employer's Liability covers the University’s proven legal liability to our employees for death or injury. Our insurance policy information and contact details can be found  here.

Clinical Trials

Insurance is required to provide cover against harmful events which could potentially be experienced by a human being participating in the study or trial. 

We will need to understand the arrangements that are in place for negligent and/or non-negligent harm in any integrated research application system ethics application. 

You should not assume that insurance is in place for your project until it has been confirmed in writing by the Insurance Audit and Risk Team if the study includes any of the research included within the list below these paragraphs. 

If the trial/study does not include any of the research included within the list it must be declared to our Research Ethics and Governance Team to enable them to include it within the annual declaration to our Insurers to ensure the study/trail is included within our Clinical Trial/Medical Malpractice insurance, as appropriate. 

Researchers are strongly advised to consider and discuss the insurance implications of multi-centre overseas research or other complex arrangements with the Insurance Audit and Risk Team prior to committing the University to such collaborations. This will ensure that relevant actions are taken early in the process, avoiding delays or obstacles at a later stage.

Where you are in collaboration with sub-contractors, other institutions or companies, it is likely that we will require sight of their Public Liability, Medical Malpractice Insurance, and/or Clinical Trials Insurance to evidence that adequate cover is in place for you, your team and the University.

Clinical trials insurance includes cover for death or injury to participants in clinical research that requires approval by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency. Legal liability does not have to be proven (known as non-fault cover).

If the trail/study includes the following: 

  • Any trial related in any way to Covid 19
  • Overseas Trials 
  • Pregnant Women 
  • Under 5's
  • Blood Plasma Products 
  • Special Access/Compassionate Use 
  • Use of Opioids

Please send us:

  • Protocol.
  • Ethics committee submission.
  • Patient information sheet.

To assist us to arrange the appropraite clinical trails/medical malpractice insurance. 

Useful documents