Proposed cap on dental legal costs ‘do not go far enough’, says DDU

The Dental Defence Union (DDU) has expressed disappointment with the government's new proposals for capping legal costs for clinical negligence claims.

Following Lord Justice Jackson's review of civil litigation costs, recommendations were made that a working party be established to examine the pros and cons of fixing costs for negligence claims valued at up to 25,000 pounds.

The DDU said this will not be effective enough in reducing the number of legal claims affecting dentists and other NHS professionals, and to make claimants' legal costs more proportionate to the amount of compensation paid to patients.

Instead, it has called for fixed costs to be applied to all cases valued at up to 250,000 pounds, rather than only applying the measure to the lowest-value cases.

John Makin, head of the DDU, said: "The rising tide of litigation is having a dramatic effect on the dental profession and the NHS more widely. The current system makes no sense and creates too many perverse incentives; it needs root and branch reform."

With over 20 years of experience within the dental market, we at Zenopa have the knowledge, skills and expertise to help find the right job for you. To find out more about the current dental roles we have available, you can search for the latest job roles, register your details, or contact the team today.