That the dental team will act promptly to protect their safety if there are concerns
about the health, performance or behavior of a dental professional or the environment
where treatment is provided.
That a dental professional will raise any concerns about the welfare of vulnerable
patients.
You must :
- Always put patients’ safety first.
- Act promptly if patients or colleagues are at risk and take measures to protect
them.
- Make sure if you employ, manage or lead a team that you encourage and support a
culture where staff can raise concerns openly and without fear of reprisal.
- Make sure if you employ, manage or lead a team that there is an effective procedure
in place for raising concerns, that the procedure is readily available to all staff
and that it is followed at all times.
- Take appropriate action if you have concerns about the possible abuse of children
or vulnerable adults.
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You must raise any concern that patients might be at risk due to:
- the health, behavior or professional performance of a colleague;
- any aspect of the environment where treatment is provided; or
-
someone asking you to do something that you think conflicts with your duties to
put patients interests first and act to protect them. You must raise a concern even
if you are not in a position to control or influence your working environment. Your
duty to raise concerns overrides any personal and professional loyalties or concerns
you might have (for example, seeming disloyal or being treated differently by your
colleagues or managers).
-
You must not enter into any contract or agreement with your employer which contains
a ‘gagging clause’ that would prevent you from raising concerns about patient safety
or restrict what you could say when raising a concern.
-
You must act promptly if patients or colleagues are at risk and take measures to
protect them.
-
You must act on concerns promptly. Acting quickly may mean that poor practice is
identified and tackled without there being a serious risk to patient safety. If
you are not sure whether the issue that worries you amounts to a concern that you
should raise, think about what might happen in the short or longer term if you did
not mention the issue. If in doubt, you must raise your concern.
-
You should not have to prove your concern for it to be investigated. If the investigation
shows that there was no problem, the fact that you raised the concern should not
be held against you as long as you were justified in raising the concern. Remember
that you must put patients’ interests first and act to protect them. If you fail
to do so by not raising a concern, your own registration could be at risk.
-
Where possible, you should raise concerns first with your employer or manager. However
it may not always be appropriate or possible to raise concerns with them, particularly
if they are the source of your concern.
-
If it is not appropriate to raise your concern with your employer or manager, or
if they fail to act on your concern, you must raise your concerns with your local
commissioner of health or with the appropriate body.
- You can also get advice from your professional association.
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If you think that the public and patients need to be protected from a dental professional
registered with IDA, you must refer your concern to us. This may be appropriate
when:
- taking action at a local level is not practical; or
- action at a local level has failed; or
-
the problem is so severe that IDA clearly needs to be involved (for example, issues
of indecency, violence, dishonesty, serious crime or illegal practice); or
- there is a genuine fear of victimization or deliberate concealment; or
-
you believe a registrant may not be able to practice because of his or her health,
performance or conduct.
-
You must make sure if you employ, manage or lead a team that you encourage and support
a culture where staff can raise concerns openly and without fear of reprisal.
-
You must promote a culture of openness in the workplace so that staff feel able
to raise concerns.
-
You should embed this culture into your policies and procedures, beginning with
staff training and induction.
-
You should encourage all staff, including temporary staff to raise concerns about
the safety of patients, including the risks that may be posed by colleagues, premises,
equipment or practice policies.
-
You must not offer staff contracts which contain a ‘gagging clause’ that would prevent
them from raising concerns about patient safety or restrict what they could say
when raising a concern.
-
You must make sure if you employ, manage or lead a team, that there is an effective
procedure in place for raising concerns, that the procedure is readily available
to all staff and that it is followed at all times.
-
You must make sure there are written procedures in place to enable staff members
to raise concerns. This means:
- being aware of and adhering to current laws and regulations;
- supporting staff members who raise concerns;
-
taking steps to tackle any shortfalls in the standards and performance of staff;
and
-
having systems in place for supporting staff who may be having problems with their
health, behavior or professional performance.
-
When a member of your team has raised a concern, you must:
- take the concerns seriously;
- maintain confidentiality when appropriate;
- investigate promptly and properly and make an unbiased assessment of the concern;
-
keep the staff member who raised the concern advised of progress, explaining any
action taken or reasons for not taking action; and
- ensure that you monitor the action you take to solve the problem.
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You must take appropriate action if you have concerns about the possible abuse of
children or vulnerable adults.
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You must raise any concerns you may have about the possible abuse or neglect of
children or vulnerable adults. You must know who to contact for further advice and
how to refer concerns to an appropriate authority.
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You must find out about procedures for the protection of children and vulnerable
adults. You must follow these procedures if you suspect that a child or vulnerable
adult might be at risk because of abuse or neglect.
