Q. If a dentist and a DCP were in conflict and were both brought to GDC for a Fitness to Practise hearing how would Dental Protection deal with the apparent conflict of interest? Would they support the dentist and not the DCP?

This is a fairly common observation and one that has absolutely no foundation in fact. Dental Protection will always do its best to look after any member irrespective of their membership status or the subscription that they pay. Advice is provided on an individual basis and where a potential conflict of interest occurs steps are always taken to ensure that advice is given to each clinician quite independently of the other. Dental Protection has a large team of advisers (46) spread over three offices and therefore there is no difficulty in maintaining complete confidentiality, with each individual clinician having their own adviser to help them.

Certainly where two clinicians have the misfortune to appear at the GDC and both members are indemnified by Dental Protection, there would be two entirely separate legal teams. This is of course quite costly but is absolutely fundamental to the assistance Dental Protection offers to its members. Indeed the reputation of Dental Protection relies on this fact.