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paying company is going to do? Pay out or look for ways not to? Discretionary indemnity really just means that we have the ability to


be flexible. We can and do provide cover when the case doesn’t quite fit the norm. We don’t have to explain ourselves to an external insurance firm. Dental cases are handled by dentists – real, currently registered, proper dentists, who know what it’s like to be a dentist and who use their discretion to help and support you.


support or assist you when things go wrong. Hmmm, that’s not true either. The fact is that at MDDUS we


appreciate that we’re all clinicians and we embrace the ability to carry out our professional duties in our own unique way. We don’t want to put unnecessary constraints on our members providing care. Yes, it would be great if patients were always fully informed of every available treatment option and that this was clearly documented in the records and that every root treatment was done under rubber dam – but we know that in reality that’s simply not going to happen every time. We can and do use our discretion to help our members in these types of situations. The enormous benefit of being able to use our discretion is that we are not restricted to lists of treatment we can cover you for and are not forced to comply with inflexible terms and conditions such as those found in insurance policies. In many cases we have offered levels of support to our members that would not have been possible with a conventional insurance policy. We can provide assistance and cover for patient care and what can be


defined as the practice of dentistry. It really is very simple. The decision is made by dentists here at MDDUS who recognise that what we do for our patients can’t be fully listed in the small print of an insurance policy. We don’t ask you to complete an application form confirming how you treat your patients. We don’t look for ways to avoid paying out a claim like an insurance company might. For example, if a patient inhales an endo file and you’ve said in your insurance application form that you always use rubber dam for root treatments, what do you think the shareholder-


Unlimited indemnity There is one final amazing fact that I want to share with you - one which may sound like something out of a fairy tale. If you find yourself called before the General Dental Council, and increasing numbers of good dentists do, we at MDDUS do not put a cap on the fees spent to defend your position. It’s hard to believe, I know, but what needs to be spent on your defence team gets spent. An MDDUS basic team for a GDC case consists of a dento-legal adviser (yes one of those real dentists), an experienced clinical negligence solicitor (yes a real registered practising solicitor) and a specialist barrister/advocate (yes a real one). Once you add on others, including an expert witness, it can become very expensive indeed. However, our job is to protect and defend your position at whatever


cost is necessary. Believe me, if you are ever in that situation you would not want to be footing the bill yourself or have expenses capped. Finally, members should be aware that there are no limits on the amount that MDDUS can pay to patients who have been awarded compensation, unlike an insurance company. So what’s the moral in all of this? (There’s always a moral). Certainly


don’t believe the scaremongers and don’t be worried into making bad decisions. Please pick up the phone as often as you like and be confident in the flexibility of discretionary indemnity. Oh, one last thing, as this is all about truth and myths, I feel obliged to tell you that Christmas calories do count. Damn.


Claire Renton is a dental adviser at MDDUS


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