Dental Protection & the Dental Nurse (DCP) Register
The General Dental Council Dental Nurses' Register opened on 31 July 2006. Registration for dental nurses will become compulsory on and after 30 July 2008. The GDC has decided that dental nurses will need to have indemnity so that patient can be compensated if they are harmed by a dental nurse's negligent acts or omissions. The details of what will be "adequate" and "appropriate" to meet those requirements are not yet finalised. However, Dental Protection welcomes the opening of the register and has undertaken to provide dental nurses with professional indemnity which will be both economic, easily available and flexible enough to be tailored to individual needs.
How does membership of Dental Protection help me?
- By protecting your professional integrity.
- By providing advice and assistance, including legal advice and assistance, in all matters which may challenge your professional integrity.
- By providing indemnity against costs and damages in dental negligence claims. We are not an insurance company, the benefits of membership are discretionary.
- We have a team of 48 dento-legal advisers, who are experienced with special legal expertise and provide expert guidance and support to members in difficulty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In addition, locally based teams of dentists, dental care professionals and lawyers with specialised knowledge of dento-legal matters support the in-house advisers in all the nations where we operate.
- Educational material - publications focused on the many aspects of risk management and other issues relating to the dental profession. Risk management products help to support the members' awareness of the potential risks in an increasingly litigious environment found in day to day practice. They provide guidelines to support best practice of dentistry within every jurisdiction.