Will the Minister provide more information on whether dental nurses and dental support workers are required to pay professional indemnity insurance?
The General Dental Council is the UK-wide statutory regulator of the dental profession and requires all dentists and Dental Care Professionals to have appropriate indemnity arrangements in place. The professions that make up the Dental Care Professionals group are: dental nurse; dental technician; dental therapist; dental hygienist; orthodontic therapist; and clinical dental technician.
The types of indemnity or insurance recognised by the GDC are: dental defence organisation membership – either an individual’s own membership or as part of their employer’s membership; professional indemnity insurance held by an individual or their employer (including indemnity insurance provided by an individual’s professional association); and NHS indemnity.
Staff employed by health boards will be covered by NHS indemnity. Individuals working in dental practices will need to be covered by their employer’s indemnity scheme or to have their own policy or defence organisation membership.