GDC Guidance Update: effective from 12th February 2024

The GDC has issued new guidance which comes into effect from 12th February 2024, you can read this here.  

Within this, they have now defined what “appropriate cover” is, “Appropriate cover is cover that will, in the event of a successful claim, compensate a patient who suffers harm”. Previously this was not outlined clearly leaving dental professionals guessing what appropriate cover is. TDS provided our definition of this in an article on the back of the GDC’s proposed guidance back in May 2023. You can read this article here.

We encourage everyone to refer to question one of the GDC guidance, “Will this product ensure that I can meet any liabilities to patients following a successful claim? If not, what alternative or additional products might I need to meet my obligations to patients?”

It is far from clear how any discretionary indemnity provider can answer question one with a yes (in writing) as the choice of the words 'cover that will' used by the GDC in guidance is definitively that something is expected to happen which is not discretionary.

TDS introduces a loss occurring, non-discretionary, regulated policy with contingent past cover by way of a prior acts clause. This, as set out by the GDC in their guidance, will cover you should a claim arise from your past, present or future treatment of your patients to ensure that you can meet any liabilities to patients following a successful claim.

In addition to TDS being able to answer question one with a 'yes', when you ask the remaining questions the GDC advise you to ask, our responses to questions 2-12 will provide reassurance to you, the treating clinician, that joining TDS ensures you have appropriate cover in place for your past, present and future treatment of your patients.