Adverse Risk Member Programme

It would be quite wrong to jump to the conclusion that every dentist who has a higher than average number of cases, or who perhaps involves Dental Protection in a higher than average expenditure on claims, legal and advisory costs, must necessarily be a "bad" dentist. Some dentists face additional problems largely because of where they practise, or the patients they treat, or the kind of work they undertake. Some dentists go through periods in their career where additional pressures are created by health problems, social/domestic upheavals, financial difficulties or other factors. As a mutual organisation our first instinct is to help and support our members through difficult times like these.

As a responsible and fair indemnity organisation, we have a duty to make proper use of the subscriptions paid by our members, and also to prevent avoidable harm to patients. To achieve both of these aims, we invest a significant part of the subscriptions we receive in providing risk management services.

Individual dentists who (for a variety of reasons) are felt to represent a particularly adverse risk for the mutual fund which is owned by and held in trust for the whole membership, pay a higher subscription to reflect both this additional risk, and also the cost of monitoring/administration, counselling and other targeted risk management support. For this purpose we have established ten special membership grades, in which subscriptions currently range from £2,870 per annum to £32,480 per annum.

We continually screen the risk profile of our whole membership, and although the initial screening report is computer generated, this is merely a means of identifying the need for a more detailed assessment. Members need not be concerned that they might be penalised for contacting us for early advice and guidance; cases of this kind are easily identified and they would not result in a member's inclusion in the ARM Programme.