The Dental Nurse's Personal Responsibility

A dental nurse's indemnity can come from an employer, practice principal, an NHS or HSC arrangement, a professional association, a personal policy, a defence organisation, or a combination of these. Whichever applies, the nurse remains personally responsible for ensuring appropriate cover is in place before practising.

This responsibility is particularly relevant at GDC registration, renewal or restoration because registrants must declare that cover is, or will be, in place before they start work. Make that declaration only with a reasonable basis. If you rely on employer cover you should know how to access the policy or membership details.

Dental nurses should be able to say

• What arrangement covers my work?
• Who holds the policy or membership details?
• Does it include the tasks I do?
• Does it include all sites and hours I work?
• Who do I contact if there is a claim, complaint or concern?

Personal responsibility does not mean carrying everything alone. It means being alert to the issue, asking relevant questions, and not practising where cover is absent or unclear for the work being done.

What employers should provide

A dental nurse can rely on employer cover only if it genuinely covers the work being done. "The practice must have something" is not a safe check.