Title: Requirement for professional indemnity for GDC registrants

Close Date of Consultation: Saturday, March 07, 2009

Requirement for professional indemnity for GDC registrants

An amendment to the Dentists Act 1984 has given the Council the power to make rules under the Act to require all dentists to ‘be covered by adequate and appropriate insurance throughout the period during which he is registered in the register’. There are effectively identical provisions requiring dental care professionals (DCPs) to have adequate and appropriate insurance in relation to each title under which they are registered.

We have developed two lists of essential minimum requirements for the cover that registrants might have. One is the essential minimum requirements for insurance, and the other is the essential minimum requirements for discretionary indemnity. 

This consultation is focused on the requirements of ‘adequate and appropriate’ cover, and the purpose of this discussion paper is to seek your views on our proposal for the two lists mentioned above.

We would also like to hear your views on how NHS indemnity cover should be considered when we come to draft rules on this issue. There will be further consultation to consider other issues such as enforceability along with the development of the rules at a later date.

Please note this consultation closes on Friday 6 March, not Saturday 7 March as displayed at the top of the page.