Bright Grey has added seven new definitions to its critical illness cover.

Five of the new definitions will pay the full amount of the sum assured and two that will provide additional cover for early forms of cancer, the protection provider claims.

The additional two definitions will pay 20% of the sum assured, over and above the original sum assured.

Bright Grey now has a total of 43 critical illness definitions.

The five new definitions are for:

* Pulmonary artery graft surgery – surgery to divide the breastbone
* Encephalitis – diagnosis of encephalitis resulting in permanent symptoms
* Intensive care 10 days – any sickness or injury resulting in a person requiring continuous mechanical ventilation for 10 consecutive days or more
* Multiple system atrophy – diagnosis of multiple system atrophy resulting in permanent symptoms
* Pneumonectomy – the undergoing of surgery to remove an entire lung.

The additional two definitions are for:

* Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) – the undergoing of a mastectomy, partial mastectomy, segmentectomy or lumpectomy operation for early forms of breast cancer
* Low grade prostate cancer – tumours of the prostate classified as having a Gleason score between 2 and 6 inclusive.

Ian Smart, head of product development and technical support, at Bright Grey said: “With the treatment of illnesses such as cancer