Episode 5 - How to manage risk, claims and insurance cover when growing a functional medicine practice

Functional Medicine’s Regulatory Grey Areas: Managing Risk, Claims, and Insurance CoverIn this episode of Confidence to Thrive, Christopher Cloke Browne discussing building and growing a functional medicine practice while staying protected in a regulatory grey area. Christopher defines functional medicine as a personalised, preventative “Medicine 3.0” approach focused on long-term lifestyle and biochemical root causes rather than pharmaceuticals, and explains how this creates uncertainty around CQC, diagnosis rules, and mixed teams where non-doctors may be perceived as diagnosing. He also reveals some of the key commercial risks in private care - especially complaints that treatment was driven by financial gain - and the need to set clear expectations on cost, timeframe, and uncertainty, given limited traditional clinical trial evidence. Christopher outlines how insurance hinges on a fair presentation of risk, highlighting peptides like BPC157 as “food supplements” with potentially serious unknown effects, and stresses open, detailed discussions with insurers and awareness of regulator exposure beyond the GMC.Podcast timestamps00:00 Podcast Introduction00:47 Functional Medicine Explained03:52 Regulatory Grey Areas05:48 Practice Models and Pitfalls07:46 CQC and Scope Boundaries10:20 Managing Patient Expectations14:05 Insurance and Disclosure16:04 Peptides and Hidden Risks20:23 Non Doctor Legal Exposure23:03 Protect Yourself NowWho are Owlicity?This podcast was brought to you by Owlicity Insurance Advisors who support your business ambitions.  Owlicity advises practitioners, owners, and entrepreneurs of healthcare practises on mitigating risks so your business can thrive. Learn more about how Owlicity can support here: Owlicity.co.uk Call us on 0203 988 8090Follow us on social mediaLinkedInInstagramYouTube