The General Dental Council (GDC) has published the outcome report for its consultation on updating the Guidance on Indemnity and Insurance, along with the revised guidance that will come into effect from February 12, 2024.
This follows a consultation earlier in 2023 on its proposals to make changes to the guidance to ensure it is up-to-date and better supports dental professionals to understand and meet their legal and regulatory obligations, in the interest of patients and maintaining public confidence in the profession.
The GDC issued the following statement:
“We received a good number of responses to our consultation from a range of stakeholders, including dental professionals and providers of indemnity and insurance, with most welcoming the proposed changes to the guidance. We also received much valuable feedback and suggestions for improvements, all of which has helped shape the finalised revised guidance that we publish today.
“Although the updated guidance does not introduce any new requirements for dental professionals, it clarifies the requirements around holding cover that will compensate patients who have suffered harm, in the event of a successful claim. The updated guidance also encourages dental professionals to consider the level of cover they require across their scope of practice.
“The guidance includes a checklist and series of questions for dental professionals to consider when choosing an indemnity or insurance cover – all of which is there to make it easier for dental professionals to decide on the type and level of cover they’ll need to protect themselves and their patients. The guidance also explains the additional benefits that dental professionals should consider when arranging their indemnity, such as including advice and support for their wellbeing during a claim.
“Updates to our guidance reflect our wider ambition to promote professional behaviours, skills and attributes across dentistry. With the Guidance on Indemnity and Insurance, we aim to encourage professionalism and decision-making about the choice of cover that is in the best interests of patients.
“Dental professionals are required by law to have appropriate indemnity or insurance in place before they practise. This is to ensure any patient who suffers harm during treatment can seek appropriate compensation. We encourage dental professionals to familiarise themselves with the updated guidance as it now provides more information to better support them to meet their responsibilities towards patients.
“We thank everyone who took part in the consultation. The outcome report and the revised guidance can be found on our Consultation page.”
Raj Rattan, dental director at Dental Protection, said, “There are a range of different indemnity and insurance options available and this updated guidance will help dental professionals ask the right questions when making a decision about what protection is most appropriate for them.
“In response to the checklist of questions, I can confirm that members of Dental Protection do not have financial caps and that their protection is occurrence-based. This means they do not need to worry about the prospect of having to cover any costs that exceed a limit and that they will be protected long into the future without the need to purchase run-off or ‘tail’ cover when they end their policy, retire, or leave dentistry.
“It is particularly welcome that the checklist of questions highlights the importance of having protection against a GDC fitness to practise investigation. We know from our experience that a regulatory investigation has a significant toll on wellbeing and the consequences for a dental professional’s career can be devastating. Having expert support and legal advice is incredibly important but it is not included as standard by all indemnity and insurance providers.”