Safeguarding in the dental practice

Objectives

GDC development outcome A

Safeguarding is defined as protecting people’s general wellbeing, human rights and allowing each person to live free from abuse and neglect. The Health and Social Care Act explicitly states that it is imperative to protect and promote the rights of people who use health and social care services. In turn, regulated providers of healthcare, such as dentistry, have a statutory duty of care to safeguard anyone at risk of experiencing harm, abuse and/or neglect.¹

Public Health England

In 2019, Public Health England published Safeguarding in general dental practice: A toolkit for dental teams. It states, “Dental teams should not feel inhibited to raise a concern. The dental team has a statutory duty of care to all patients and the wider public, which includes ensuring that safeguarding arrangements are in place and are acted on.”² This helpful document should be reviewed by dental professionals and is easily accessed online.