Protection providers have published a white paper on how the industry can improve its critical illness offering.

This following the recent Future of Critical Illness summit, hosted by protection providers Bright Grey and Scottish Provident.

The paper argues it is necessary to educate consumers as to the value of taking out critical illness policies and simplify the conditions that are covered and explain the likelihood of being able to claim.

It also calls for increased communication with charities, such as the Macmillan Cancer Charity, in order to raise awareness of the financial support that the product offers and a greater use of social media to complement publicity that television campaigns will generate.

Other suggestions include a centralised protection information website and the selling of an additional smaller sum assured critical illness policy alongside a life policy.

Roger Edwards, proposition director of Bright Grey and Scottish Provident, said: “Perhaps life insurance has been reducing in price so much that the choice people make in a recessionary environment is ‘I will go for the very cheap life insurance as opposed to the perceived very expensive critical illness’. Perhaps it should be routine to add £20