Finding indemnity that’s right for you
Featured Products Promotional FeaturesPosted by: Dental Design 27th August 2022
Throughout our careers as dental therapists and dental hygienists we are faced with a number of exciting possibilities. This is particularly true as our roles continue to progress and develop, broadening our potential scopes of practice and opening new avenues to explore.
But how can we ensure that we’re adequately protected?
Despite being a legal requirement, finding an indemnity policy that is suited to our roles is not always straightforward – however, this doesn’t need to be the case!
Litigation in society
Society is changing and people are now more aware than ever before of the options available to them should they receive treatment or care that they deem unacceptable. There are many potential reasons for this – widespread use of the internet and targeted marketing from firms encouraging unhappy patients to take action are certainly part of it, but there has also been a general culture shift.
In fact, a report released by the UK government in 2016 suggested that we are now living in a far more litigious society than in the early 2000s.[i] This certainly has had an impact on dentistry, with figures from 2019 suggesting that clinical negligence claims have risen by 30% since 2018.[ii] Unfortunately, due to the pandemic and the cessation and limitation of dental services during this time, there are concerns that there may be a rising tide of dental negligence claims on the horizon.[iii]
What claims are being made against dental therapists and dental hygienists?
The foundation of dental negligence claims and other legal action isn’t always the same. For example, there have been cases that have arisen from failure to update a patient’s medical history, whereas as others may be based on an injury incurred during treatment.
Some of the most common claims, however, are related to the lack of detection of oral pathologies or periodontal disease. As a thorough examination of the oral cavity is part of the services we provide, missing anything in this vein can leave us open to legal action and have dire consequences, especially should either of these problems progress.
There could also be claims made based on us stepping outside of our scope of practice, not protecting patient privacy or breaching infection control standards. There are many pitfalls in any healthcare profession, and while claims based on these are incredibly rare, it’s still absolutely vital to have adequate protection.
Safeguarding yourself and your career
Ultimately, finding an indemnity policy that suits your circumstances is more important than ever before, especially as society continues to become more litigious. Although the risks of legal action being taken against individuals in our profession are low, finding comprehensive cover that is affordable and comprehensive offers excellent peace of mind and helps guarantee that you are safeguarded as much as possible.
Protection in a modern profession
As part of our commitment to support dental therapists and dental hygienists, the British Association of Dental Therapists (BADT) has teamed up with Dental Protection to offer members a 15% discount on their subscription. This is apt, given that Dental Protection, as part of the Medical Protection Society, were the first organisation to offer dental therapists indemnity. individuals will also gain access to other support services offered by Dental Protection including counselling for those suffering from work-related stress or any issues that they believe is impacting their work.
This perk joins a host of other benefits that ensures joining the BADT is an excellent option for dental therapists, dental hygienists and students of the profession.
A policy tailored to you
For many years, dental therapists and dental hygienists have been faced with limited options when it comes to finding indemnity policies that are truly tailored to reflect the risks of our profession. Many individuals in our roles take out indemnity policies that are designed for dentists. While comprehensive, these policies tend to be an expensive option, especially as they provide cover for circumstances that are beyond our scope of practice – meaning we’re effectively paying more for no added benefit.
As such, it pays to explore the market when looking for your indemnity policy and to really research what makes a policy good for you. As dental therapists and dental hygienists become more recognised as essential parts of the dental team, it’s likely that our duties will continue to expand – this is something to bear in mind when weighing up the options, especially if you want to ensure that you are adequately protected against every eventuality.
For more details, please visit www.badt.org.uk
Debbie Hemington- Chair. Debbie qualified from New Cross in 1983, the year it closed, and is actually the last New Cross Therapist to graduate. She qualified as a Hygienist at Kings in 1987 and has worked continuously during this time in a variety of settings. In 2003 she joined The Eastman as a tutor and combines that role with working in a mixed general practice where she has worked for 38 years! Debbie has also worked the for the former London Deanery as part of the DCP tutor team commissioning post graduate education, and was the educational lead on “Wild Smile” project with Heart your Smile. In 2012 she took part in a 2 year part time pilot scheme at Kings for Enhanced Skills in Periodontology. She has been a BADT member for most of her career and was elected Chair in 2018 and is now President of the Association.
[i] Gov.UK. Common Sense, Common Safety. Link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/60905/402906_CommonSense_acc.pdf [Last accessed April 22].
[ii] Business Matters. Clinical Negligence Claims To Dentists Are On The Rise – Why is This The Case? Link: https://bmmagazine.co.uk/business/clinical-negligence-claims-to-dentists-on-the-rise-why-is-this-the-case/ [Last accessed April 22].
[iii] The Dentist. A Knock-on Covid Wave? Link: https://www.the-dentist.co.uk/content/news/a-knock-on-covid-wave [Last accessed April 22].
