Car Insurance for NHS Staff

Car Insurance for NHS Staff – Compare Cheap Quotes

You’re probably aware of the fact that most car insurance providers ask for your occupation when you’re comparing quotes or signing up for a new policy, and they ask for that information because it’s one of the variables that they use to calculate your car insurance premiums.

Insurance claims data and motoring conviction data suggest that people in certain professions have a lower risk of being involved in an at-fault accident, claiming on their insurance, having their licences endorsed with penalty points or receiving driving convictions, which means anyone in those professions are seen as lower risk.

For instance, car insurance for unemployed people costs around 30% more, on average, than a comparable policy might cost someone else because the data suggests those drivers are higher risk, while teachers, police officers and ministers of religion all benefit from much lower average premiums than many other motorists because they are seen as lower risk.

If you work for the NHS the good news is there’s a strong chance you might be able to find cheaper car insurance quotes than those in many other professions as well, and this particularly holds true if you’re an NHS nurse, because car insurance for nurses is often particularly cheap.

Compare car insurance for NHS staff

Do I have to be an NHS nurse or NHS doctor in order to benefit from cheaper insurance?

No, not necessarily.

Nurses do benefit from some of the cheapest car insurance premiums, while NHS doctors often pay a bit more but still benefit from cheaper quotes than many other professions. But that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to find cheap insurance if you’re an NHS porter or NHS cleaner, for instance.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that some insurance providers offer NHS car insurance discounts, which means your premiums could be lower no matter what role you do for the NHS.

What other variables might influence the premium I’m quoted for NHS car insurance?

Insurance providers use a wide range of variables when calculating your car insurance premiums, so you aren’t guaranteed cheap car insurance simply because you’re an NHS employee.

For instance, your location, the crime rate in your area, your own criminal record, your driving record, the type of car you drive and where you park your car can all influence the cost of your insurance, which means NHS staff might still have high car insurance premiums if any of those factors work against them.

What steps can I take to reduce my premium if I’m not offered cheap NHS car insurance?

If you aren’t offered cheap NHS car insurance because one or more of the variables mentioned above works against you in the insurance premium calculation, there are still a few steps you can take to increase your odds of reducing your premium.

Firstly, you should shop around for the best deals rather than automatically accepting your existing provider’s renewal quote, because it’s usually possible to find a cheaper premium when you compare quotes.

The higher your premiums are likely to be the more important it becomes that you compare car insurance quotes from a wide range of different providers, because you just might find one that’s able to offer you a cheaper quote (although it still isn’t likely to be cheap, of course!).

Beyond that, taking one or more of the following steps might help to reduce your premium:

• Parking your car off the road when you aren’t driving it – cars that are parked on the side of the road have a higher risk of being side-swiped being a passing car or targeted by thieves, and that higher risk often translates into higher premiums.
• Taking an advanced driving test (such as the ‘Pass Plus’ or ‘RoSPA Advanced Drivers and Riders’ test) – Sitting an advanced driving test can help lower premiums by demonstrating to insurers that you have a greater than basic level of driving skills. This can indicate a safer driver and so your premiums will likely be reduced accordingly.
• Adding a more experienced motorist to the policy as a ‘named driver’ – If you’re a young NHS worker or a student nurse it might be worth adding a more experienced driver to your policy as a ‘named driver’, because some insurance providers might offer lower premiums to reflect the fact that you aren’t likely to clock up as many miles behind the wheel yourself.
• Opting for a telematics insurance policy – Again, this might be a more suitable option if you’re a teenager or first time driver that has only recently started working for the NHS, but if you do sign up for a telematics insurance policy (or a black box insurance policy, as it’s more commonly known) you could benefit from lower premiums.