These allowances are available to registered dentists for maternity, paternity or adoption leave, and for those with long term sickness.
Family Practitioner Services (Dental) will consider the information you have given and decide whether you are entitled to maternity, paternity, adoption or sick leave payments. If you are eligible, we will calculate the weekly amount in accordance with the determinations set out in the current SDR. In any event Family Practitioner Services (Dental) will let you know its decision.
Both the Health & Social Care Board and the Business Services Organisation will need to know the name and practice address of the deputy or assistant, if any, who will be responsible for providing, or assisting with the provision of general dental services during your absence and will need to consent to the employment of an assistant for more than two months while you are away from practice.
Please contact Family Practitioner Services (Dental), via DentalFinance.BSO@hscni.net , if you have any queries about this application.
Maternity leave payments
This allowance is for registered dentists who give birth to a child, after 24 weeks of pregnancy. Maternity leave can start prior to the expected date of the child being born.
To claim this allowance, download the Mat/Pat/Ado claim form on the Forms page by clicking here, or request it from DentalFinance.BSO@hscni.net . The MATB (1) certificate, provided by the hospital, must be produced as evidence of pregnancy.
Maternity leave payments are made for up to 26 weeks, at a maximum of £1,465.00. per week.
The maternity payment conditions are that –
- The dentist’s name has been included in the dental list or pilot dental list for a period of at least 2 years, the last 26 weeks of which period must be continuous and immediately precede the 15th week before the expected week of confinement;
- The dentist has become pregnant and has reached, or been confined before reaching, the commencement of the 11th week before the expected week of confinement;
- The dentist has ceased to provide General Dental Services, wholly or partly because of pregnancy or confinement, although the dentist’s name remains included in the dental list; and
- The dentist has met the earnings requirement.
- In the case of a dentist who has undergone 1 year’s approved vocational training, the 2 years shall be reduced to 1 year.
Adoption leave payments
This payment is made to a registered dentist who has adopted a child.
To claim this allowance, download the Mat/Pat/Adop claim form on the Forms page by clicking here, or request it from DentalFinance.BSO@hscni.net .
Adoption leave payments are made for up to 26 weeks, at a maximum of £1,465.00. per week.
The adoption payment conditions are that –
- The dentist’s name has been included in the dental list or pilot dental list for a period of at least 2 years, the last 26 weeks of which period must be continuous and immediately precede the date of adoption;
- The dentist has become the adoptive parent of a child and is the main care provider for that child;
- The dentist has ceased to provide General Dental Services, wholly or partly because of that adoption, although the dentist’s name remains included in the dental list; and
- That dentist has met the earnings requirement.
- In the case of a dentist who has undergone 1 year’s approved vocational training, the 2 years shall be reduced to 1 year.
Long term sickness payment
This allowance is paid to cover a period of sickness, where the dentist is unable to provide general dental services. This takes effect after a period of four weeks, and will be paid to a maximum of 22 weeks, for any period of sickness.
To claim, download the OP2 Sickness claim form on the form page by clicking here, or request it from DentalFinance.BSO@hscni.net . The sickness certificate must be submitted along with the form.
Long term sickness payments are made to dentists for up to 22 weeks, at a maximum of £364.91 per week.
Those claiming should have had their name included in the dental list or pilot dental list for a period of at least 2 years which need not be continuous, or immediately precede the period of sickness. Gross earnings must be not less than those noted in the relevant SDR and at least 85% of the dentist’s earning from the practice of dentistry during the test period was attributable to gross earnings.