Overview
If you provide NHS or Health and Social Care (HSC) dentistry in general practice under a General Dental Services (GDS) or Public Dental Service arrangement, you may be entitled to long-term sick pay. Entitlement to long-term sick pay and how it is calculated is stated in:
- The Statement of Financial Entitlements for England and Wales published by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA)
- The Statement of Dental Remuneration (SDR) available from NHS Practitioner Services Dental in Scotland
- The SDR available from the Northern Ireland Business Services Organisation (BSO).
Understanding the facts around dentists’ long-term sickness and pay is crucial if illness or injury prevents you from working. This advice contains more information about the financial support available across the UK and how it applies to your role, so you can plan ahead, and protect your income.
We outline NHS long-term sickness payments in England and Wales, alongside arrangements for HSC payments in Northern Ireland and provisions in Scotland. You will learn about eligibility, how schemes operate depending on your job role and what steps to follow when making a claim. We also explain key timescales, when payments start and how they are calculated, giving you a clear picture of what to expect in terms of dentists’ long-term sickness and pay.
You will also learn how to manage sickness absence cover. We explain how to arrange locums, who is responsible for costs, and how clinical and contractual duties are maintained during your absence. In addition, we outline the obligations practices must continue to meet when a dentist is off sick and a locum is in place, so both practice owners and associates know their responsibilities.
Finally, we will go over insurance options so you can make informed decisions and protect your finances. We outline key considerations for critical illness cover and explain how short term and long-term income protection policies work, including what they can fund. Further advice is available from:
- National Association of Specialist Dental Accountants and Lawyers
- MoneyHelper: an independent service, set up by government to provide advice online, by telephone, and face to face.
