CPD Professional Indemnity - Background Information

9 May 2008

DTA LAUNCHES MARKET LEADING INDEMNITY INSURANCE FOR ITS MEMBERS

Sue Adams of the DTA comments 

“We are delighted to launch what we believe to be a market leading scheme for our members. It offers possibly the widest Cover available in the UK market at realistic levels of premium “

“The General Dental Council requirements require all dental technicians to have in place adequate and appropriate arrangements so that patients can claim any compensation they are entitled to. We need to ensure that our members have access an insurance policy which meets the General Dental Council requirements and offers the widest protection available at competitive and affordable costs“.

“Insurance Brokers, UK Special Risks, who specialise in the Dental Laboratories Industry have developed a scheme for our members. UK Special Risks have approx 10 years experience of our industry“   Martin Bell explains.

What does the policy cover?

The DTA scheme is 4 policies in 1. It covers:

How much does it cost?

The cost is £35.40 per dental technician per year.

What does that mean to dental technicians?

GDC registrants have personal responsibility for their actions / errors and omissions. The policy covers liability on the technician arising from:

Products manufactured

Shading consultations
Advice supplied eg. to dentists for implants
Supervision of process workers
Advice and defence costs in GDC fitness to practice proceedings.

Comparison with the alternatives available highlights that the DTA arrangement offers possibly the widest cover in the UK and at the most competitive cost, delivered by organisations committed to the industry.

Why is this policy needed?

The GDC requires registrants to make sure that they have adequate and appropriate arrangements in place so that patients can claim any compensation they may be entitled to. 

The GDC requirements are specified under the heading professional indemnity. Within the Insurance Industry Professional Indemnity is designed to cover advice for a fee, design for a fee, specification for a fee and treatment.

For a manufacturing dental technician we believe Professional Indemnity in isolation does not provide an adequate solution. The main risk facing a manufacturing dental technician arises from injury or damage caused by the product supplied. We have written on several occasions to the GDC and other bodies outlining these views. As a result we have added Public and Products Liability Insurance to the DTA package combining Professional Indemnity with Public and Products Liability to produce, we believe, a market leading solution.

The DTA package is 4 policies in 1 - a package designed to meet all eventualities. The DTA scheme covers liability arising from products supplied, shading consultations, advice supplied eg to dentists for implants, supervision of process workers, defence advice and costs in GDC fitness to practice proceedings etc..

UK Special Risks experience of the Dental Laboratories Industry has enabled them to negotiate premiums down to highly competitive levels.

What benefit does the DTA receive?

UK Special Risks was asked to provide the best package for DTA members. The DTA receives no commission or other payment. The benefit it receives is simply from making available the best products at the best price possible.

What limit of indemnity do I need?

We believe £ 3,000,000 should be more than adequate for the work of technicians. The GDC makes no specific requirement.  

Do I have to have indemnity cover?

The GDC states that each registrant has a professional responsibility to evaluate and understand the risks of litigation they may face and ensure that they have appropriate arrangements in place.  They state that if when judged objectively the risk of patient litigation is absolutely zero (whether currently or in the past) then professional indemnity is not required. You must be prepared to explain and justify your decision when asked to do so by the GDC. It is the responsibility of each dental technician to make their own risk assessment.

In addition, registered dental technicians can be held accountable for their actions, errors and omissions by the GDC who could commence fitness to practices proceeding against the dental technician. The DTA package includes advice and legal costs in preparing and presenting a defence in a disciplinary hearing. GDC fitness to practice hearings could arise due to an allegation (which may subsequently prove to be unfounded) that the dental technician has contravened one of the many standards including misconduct, deficient professional performance etc.

The benefits of buying individual cover

The GDC enables dental technicians to arrange cover in their own right or as part of an employer policy. Sue Adams comments “ the benefit for a dental technician arranging cover in their name is that the policy is fully portable allowing them to maintain continuity of cover should they change employer and move from employment to self employment or from sole trader to Limited Company etc.”

What to do next

Contact the DTA

Request an Application Form and Summary of Cover from the DTA on 01452 886366 
or through e-mail sueadams@dta-uk.org

Contact UK Special Risks

Request an Application Form and Summary of Cover from Suzanne on 01634 662916 or Lesley on 01634 662910 or by email smazey@ukspecialrisks.co.uk

Send your completed application form together with your cheque for £ 35.40 (made payable to the UK Special Risks Ltd) to Mrs Suzanne Mazey at UK Special Risks Ltd, Unit 6, The Oaks Business Village, Revenge Road , Lordswood, Chatham ME5 8LF . 

Clinical Dental Technicians: we are in the process of finalising our proposals for their insurance requirements and these should be available within the next few weeks.

The Policy provides unlimited Cover for the consequences of pass work undertaken there is no Excess, it Cover the Technician arising from the supervision of process workers and provides continuation of Cover after you cease working without additional cost.  Please be aware that any Technician whether they are called a Technician within their job title or not is required to be registered by the General Dental Council and to have their own separate Cover in force.

This Policy will not cover the supervision of Technicians who are breaching the GDC Regulations.