As the deadline for dental care professionals (DCPs) to renew their registration with the General Dental Council (GDC) approached at the end of July, the Dental Defence Union (DDU) reminded DCPs that it is their responsibility to ensure they have access to indemnity in their own right or that appropriate arrangements are in place via their employer.

Following a legal change, the GDC changed its rules in November 2015, meaning all dental professionals applying to register or renew their registration will need to tell the GDC they have indemnity arrangements in place for their scope of practice, or will have by the time they start practising.

John Makin, Head of the DDU, said: ‘We have received a number of queries, particularly from dental nurses, about whether the indemnity they have in place meets the GDC's new requirements. Our advice is to check with your employer if you are not sure about what indemnity arrangements you have in place in the first instance.’

The GDC has published some Frequently Asked Questions about indemnity at http://www.gdc-uk.org/dentalprofessionals/standards/pages/indemnity.aspx.