I work in insurance: Dr Edwin Rajadurai, Servca

What is your role?

I manage the UK and international desk, encompassing medical malpractice, financial institutions and professional indemnity. Perhaps more unusually a key part of my role as a qualified, but non-practicing, doctor is acting as a consulting advisor within the medical spheres of insurance. Servca knew I had a background in medicine and asked me to build the division. After three years of constant learning – here I am as an associate director.

What do the day-to-day duties involve?

I consult with doctors, nurses, medical professionals, entities and medical associations, discussing their needs for indemnity and coverage. I work with underwriters to rate and attain quotations for indemnity and produce risk management strategies.

How is your job linked to insurance?

I act as the primary broker for all healthcare risks and place medical indemnity, life sciences and pharmaceutical insurances for the likes of doctors, nurses, Allied health professionals, entities and associations within Lloyd’s and develop new schemes within Servca and our supporting syndicates.

What have some of the highlights of the role been?

A highlight is to be able to help struggling doctors obtain indemnity. With the major Defence Unions increasingly rejecting memberships for doctors, some feel alone and overwhelmed with the task of arranging indemnity. The second highlight is travelling to parts of the world where I never thought I would do business, let alone setting up schemes and facilities for them. It is a real sense of achievement when you add medical knowledge to the broking world and it works.

How do you think the role will change in the future?

With the Ogden ruling soon to take effect, the minimum limits of indemnity that doctors are being offered are being called into question. At this time, a GP is advised to attain a £10m limit of indemnity in order to practice. This limit is being increased to a minimum of £15m. Insurers are already feeling the pressure of premiums being so low. It begs the question who bears the brunt of costs - the insurer, or the doctor. I envisage major changes to be implemented to account for this.

What are the challenges you’ve faced in this role?

As Servca has grown in the medical malpractice space so has my workload. As such we have had to adapt in the way we service our clients. It is not an easy task to maintain standards of service whilst experiencing rapid growth. 

What response do you get when you say you work in insurance

It’s a very mixed bag. Clients are often relieved that they can speak to someone with a comprehensive understanding of medicine and insurance. When I speak to former colleagues within the medical sphere, many are surprised at the transition I’ve made. It’s a career choice I’ve found highly rewarding and I’ve never looked back.