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Indemnity requirement

To be able to renew your registration with the GDC, you will be required to declare that you have the necessary indemnity or insurance in place to cover you in your work. 

For further information, please download our indemnity guidance.

This is not a new requirement - dental professionals have always been required to have appropriate indemnity arrangements in place so that patients can claim any compensation to which they may be entitled. This requirement is part of the  Standards.

In November 2015 we changed our registration rules so that dentists and dental care professionals applying for registration or restoration, and those renewing their registration each year, will need to tell us that they have indemnity cover in place - or will have by the time they start practising.

This means you won't be able to register or renew your registration unless you confirm that you have, or will have appropriate indemnity cover in place.

DCPs will have to make this declaration during their annual renewal period in June/July.

Dentist will have to make this declaration during their annual renewal period in November/December. 

If you do not have your own indemnity cover, for example you are covered under your employer’s policy, you will need to make sure you have, or can access, the details of the policy.

It is your responsibility to ensure you have appropriate cover for your scope of practice. If you are an employing dentist with DCPs covered under your policy, you will need to make the appropriate information available to them should they require it.

Please remember – making a false declaration to the GDC is a serious issue. If you declare to the GDC that you have appropriate indemnity in place and this is found to be false, this may be considered as a fitness to practise matter.​​​

 

Frequently asked questions

My employer has employers' liability insurance. Is this sufficient?

​No. Employers' liability insurance covers your employer against the cost of compensation claims arising from an injury you (the employee) might sustain at work.
 
This is not the same as professional indemnity which can pay out compensation to a patient should they need to make a claim against you.