For many years, GDC registrants have been required to have appropriate indemnity arrangements in place so that patients can claim any compensation to which they may be entitled. This requirement is part of the GDC Standards.

However, since July 2014, all registered healthcare professionals are legally required to have indemnity cover.

The GDC changed the registration rules so that dentists and dental care professionals applying for registration or restoration, and those renewing their registration each year, will be required to tell the GDC that they have indemnity cover in place – or will have by the time they start practising.

The idea behind the change is that you won’t be able to register or renew your registration unless you can confirm to us that you have, or will have, cover in place. This will reduce the number of people working without cover.

It’s important to note that the requirement to ​have appropriate indemnity cover is not new and has not changed. The main difference that current registrants will notice is that when you renew your registration through eGDC each year, you will have to confirm that you have indemnity cover in place, or will have when you start to practise. If you don’t confirm this, you will not be able to renew your registration.

Some people may be asked to provide details of their policy to the GDC when they are applying for registration, applying for restoration, or when renewing their registration during the ARF period. Each individual applicant or registrant will need to know the details of their indemnity cover, and to provide details of these to the GDC if asked to do so.

If you do not have your own indemnity cover, for example you are covered under your employer’s policy, you will need to make sure you have, or can access, the details of the policy if the GDC ask you to provide them. If you are a dental laboratory owner with DCPs covered under your policy, you will need to make the appropriate information available to them should they need it.

The first group of dental professionals to have to make this declaration will be DCPs during the ARF collection period in summer 2016.

For further information or to access frequently asked questions regarding indemnity insurance, you can visit the GDC website at:

http://www.gdc-uk.org/dentalprofessionals/standards/pages/indemnity.aspx

Categories: Dental Laboratory News