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Dentolegal advice 1800 936 077
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Membership information 1800 932 916
Dentolegal advice 1800 936 077

Protection for HSE dental staff


As a dentist or hygienist working for the HSE in Ireland, you will be aware that it can be a litigious environment in which to practise.

The Clinical Indemnity Scheme cannot always protect you. This is where Dental Protection can help.

The team at Dental Protection have identified a range of challenges that can arise for dental practitioners. Through a vast array of educational resources, members can learn how to recognise potential areas of risk in their practice and help prevent issues from arising.

Why does the Clinical Indemnity Scheme (CIS) exist?

The CIS was established to ensure that patients harmed as a result of substandard care in public hospitals/clinics are compensated. Its priority is not to protect you or your professional interests.

For those working in a general practice setting, or as a private practitioner, the CIS won’t cover you for the financial consequences of a claim for clinical negligence.

Complaints to the Dental Council, general patient complaints and disciplinary hearings are all daunting prospects for any clinician, but unfortunately these situations have become increasingly common. The CIS does not offer support or protection with any of these.

 

How Dental Protection can help

As a Dental Protection member, you have access to a range of benefits not offered by the Clinical Indemnity Scheme. Here’s how our protection can help you:
 
Dental Protection Clinical Indemnity Scheme
Support in Dental Council investigations and representation at hearings ✔ ×
Representation for individual practitioners at inquiries (including indemnified agency staff) ✔ ×
Dentolegal advice line including out of hours emergency support 24/7 ✔ ×
Help responding to patient complaints ✔ ×
Help in disciplinary proceedings, e.g. Ombudsmen investigations ✔ ×
Help with unwanted media attention ✔ ×
CPD courses and online learning to help prevent issues arising ✔ ×
With the world’s largest team of dentolegal specialists by your side, you can practise with confidence, safe in the knowledge that you have experienced professional colleagues there to protect and support you when it matters most.

We help with prevention as well as protection

We understand the many challenges you face as a dental practitioner, and we provide a host of educational content to help you recognise potential areas of risk and avoid issues from arising in the first place. These resources include workshops, online courses and webinars with accredited CPD to develop your communication and risk management skills.

We protect your wellbeing

The support we provide goes beyond protecting you against cases and claims. We’re not only here to protect your career and reputation, but your wellbeing too.

Dental Protection offers counselling to any members experiencing work-related stress, or stress that they feel could impact their practice.

 

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If you have any questions about your application please refer to our online quote questions and answers and information for applicants.

If any of the statements below apply to you please call us on 1800 932 916.

• You are applying for membership for work undertaken in more than one country
• You are applying for membership for both medical and dental work
• You require membership of an existing Dental Protection Xtra scheme and undertake work outside of the group, for which you require individual membership.

If you have outstanding regulatory, licensing, registration body, criminal or disciplinary investigations your application will not be accepted

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Important information

Please allow around 20 minutes to complete your online quote. You can save your quote and return to complete your application at any time for up to 30 days.

If you have previously been a member, your membership number will also be required. If you cannot locate your membership number please call member services on 1800 932 916.

What you will need to complete your quote:

  • How many hours you work per week
  • How many weeks you work per year
  • The full address and Eircode of your practice location
  • Your scope of practice
  • Your Dental Council (IDC) reference number
  • Your date of primary qualification
  • Your full registration date
  • Your projected gross income
  • Details of previous indemnifiers, gaps in your professional protection, any previous complaints and claim and case history

A full case history, known as letter of good standing, will be required to support your application if you have held indemnity or insurance with any other provider(s) in the last ten years (periods of State indemnity are not required). Please send us your case history from previous indemnifiers within 42 days of your application being accepted. If we do not receive this within 42 days, or if the information doesn’t match your application form, it could lead to your membership being cancelled.

Referred applications

Sometimes we need to check the information you have provided in your application (for example if you have had a claim in the past). This will mean that, at the end of your online application, you will be told that it has been referred. It can take up to five days for this to be investigated, but your application will still be progressing in the meantime and we will aim to get back to you sooner than that wherever possible.