Exam Pass Notes

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SPF P 1.6: key points

• Dental professionals must have appropriate indemnity or insurance in place before practising.
• The primary patient-facing purpose is to ensure compensation is available if a patient suffers harm and a claim succeeds.
• Dental nurses remain personally responsible for ensuring they have cover, even when relying on employer arrangements.
• Employer cover, personal cover, NHS or Crown indemnity, professional association cover and defence organisation membership can differ in scope and terms.
• Cover must match the dental nurse's tasks, scope of practice, locations, hours, employment status and any additional skills used.
• Employer's liability and public liability insurance are not substitutes for professional indemnity or clinical negligence cover.
• Clinical negligence cover may not include support for fitness to practise proceedings, disciplinary hearings, complaints handling or personal legal advice.
• Dental nurses should know where evidence of their cover is kept and how to access it if requested by the GDC.
• Changes in role, workplace, agency work, extra duties or moving to direct NHS/HSC employment can affect whether existing cover is adequate.
• If appropriate cover cannot be confirmed for the work being done, stop the work, check the position and escalate to the employer or relevant body.

Exam memory line: Indemnity protects patients, preserves public trust and supports the professional. For dental nurses, the practical questions are: what covers me, for which work, where, when and who will provide support if something goes wrong?