Don't get caught out on indemnity

WOULD you drive a car without car insurance? Or take an expensive holiday without travel insurance? Most dentists would say no to both questions, and yet some find themselves in the unenviable position of realising that they are practising without appropriate indemnity cover in place.

At MDDUS we pride ourselves on providing peace of mind for all our members. But it is vital to remember that for your cover to be effective, it needs to appropriately reflect:

• your role
• your location
• the type of work you undertake (something that can change multiple times during a health professional’s career).

In extreme cases, failing to make appropriate updates to your MDDUS membership opens you to the risk of being held personally liable in the event of a negligence claim, being left without assistance when faced with a disciplinary or regulatory process or facing disciplinary action for having inadequate cover.

Fortunately, you can avoid any potential financial or professional difficulties by ensuring you let MDDUS know about any changes to your membership as quickly as possible.

Regulatory and legal requirements

All dental professionals must, by law, have an indemnity arrangement or insurance policy in place so that any patient who suffers harm can recover any financial compensation they might be entitled to if their claim is successful.

Dentists are also required to declare that they have the necessary indemnity or insurance in place when they register with or renew their registration with the General Dental Council (GDC), and to notify the regulator if they cease to have such an arrangement in place.

MDDUS membership requirements

Your membership category is determined by your role, location, and the type of work you do, so it is vital that you have declared this correctly on joining MDDUS and carefully review your membership certificate at each renewal.

Any changes that are made to any of these areas must be notified to MDDUS immediately, as they may mean that the benefits you are entitled to may change or may not apply. Changes can be made during the year or up to one year after the end of the membership year.

Examples of the sorts of changes that MDDUS would require to be informed of include:

• any change of personal or professional address or other contact details
• any change in the nature or extent of work undertaken
• any parental leave you intend to take, or when you return to work following parental leave
• any regulatory or disciplinary action that affects your right to practise your profession.

Common issues not notified to MDDUS

Some common issues that members neglect to inform MDDUS of include:

• Owning a practice
• Hospital practitioners undertaking GDP sessions during the week or at weekends
• Undertaking specific treatments, such as surgically placing dental implants or maxillary sinus floor surgery or bone grafting
• Returning to normal practice/sessions or to retirement after Covid 19 arrangements have ended
• Changes to the number of sessions worked
• Providing non-surgical cosmetic treatments.