As a dental nurse, you need medical malpractice insurance. Your GDC registration depends on it.

But you may also have heard of treatment risk insurance, or treatment liability insurance. And as dental nurses offer certain treatments, you might be wondering – do I need treatment risk insurance?

In this post we’ll explore the differences between medical malpractice insurance and treatment risk insurance to help you understand what sort of cover you need.

What is Medical Malpractice Insurance?

If a patient sustains an injury from your dental work, they may make a claim against you. Medical malpractice insurance will cover you against such a claim. It can cover your legal fees as well as any settlements your patient may be due.

Medical malpractice insurance can also cover you for cases involving libel and slander, professional indemnity, loss of documents, and breaches of professional confidentiality. In the result of unexpected deaths, medical malpractice insurance can cover the inquest costs.

Head here for our full guide to medical malpractice insurance, and what it covers.

What is Treatment Liability Insurance?

Treatment liability insurance – sometimes known as treatment risk insurance – also provides cover for injuries and damages that may result from offering certain professional services.

Like medical malpractice insurance, it can cover your legal fees, as well as any settlements your clients may be due.

So for people who work in certain sectors offering certain services, treatment liability insurance covers the sorts of things that aren’t covered by a standard public liability insurance policy.

Head here for our full guide to treatment liability insurance, and what it covers.

So What’s The Difference Between Medical Malpractice Insurance and Treatment Liability Insurance?

Medical malpractice insurance and treatment liability insurance offer the same sort of cover, but for different professionals.

The main difference is that medical malpractice insurance is for healthcare professionals. On the other hand, treatment liability insurance covers people who provide treatments that are often hands-on and potentially risky, but which don’t fall under the banner of “healthcare”.

Treatment liability insurance is best for barbers, hairdressers, beauticians, massage therapists, counsellors, therapists, and sports physiotherapists.

So What Sort Of Cover Do I Need as a Dental Nurse?

As a dental nurse, you’re a healthcare professional. The services you provide fall under the banner of “healthcare”. Therefore, you need medical malpractice insurance.

Indeed, it’s a condition of GDC registration that you have indemnity insurance in place. This applies whether you’re a dental nurse, a dental technician, a dental hygienist, or an orthodontic therapist.

Medical malpractice insurance policies provide the professional indemnity cover you need for GDC compliance. But they’ll also provide you with a lot more protection, to cover you for almost any risk you may face in your work.

Do I Need My Own Medical Malpractice Insurance Policy?

Do you work for a single dental or orthodontic practice? If so, the practice’s insurance may cover all the dental work you do. But talk to your employer to make sure.

However, if you work for multiple practices on a freelance basis, you should get your own medical malpractice insurance policy.

Head here to read our full guide to medical malpractice insurance for dental nurses.

If you have any questions, or if you’d like to discuss your insurance cover options, you can contact the Tapoly team at info@tapoly.com. You can also call our help line on +44 (0)207 846 0108, or you can use our website chat.