Indemnity team
Email indemnity@bda.org or call 020 7535 5858 for assistance.
Please note that calls will be recorded for regulatory compliance, training and monitoring purposes.
Len D’Cruz
Head of Indemnity
Len is a general dental practitioner, foundation trainer and practice owner testing the NHS prototypes. He has 21 years’ experience as a dento-legal advisor supporting dentists with complaints, clinical and regulatory issues, and clinical negligence claims. He is lead lecturer at the University of Bedfordshire teaching on the MA in Dental Law and Ethics. He has authored and co-authored two books: “Understanding NHS dentistry” and “Legal aspects of general dental practice” (Churchill Livingstone) and has contributed legal and ethical content to a number of text books and journals and websites. He regularly shares his wisdom on NHS regulations and contract reform. He has both dental and legal qualifications:
BDS Royal London 1989 LDS RCS Dip FOd MFGDP
LLM
PGCert Med Ed FFFLM
Read Len's blog on
the difference between occurrence-based and claims-made cover. |  |
Jane Merivale
Dento-legal Advisor Jane has accumulated two decades of dento-legal experience, while also leading a successful practice in South London. With a Master of Laws (LLM) in Medical Law from Cardiff University, Jane rose up the ranks at Dental Protection to become one of the foremost authorities in her field. On top of extensive experience of complex UK cases, she has served as Head of Dental Services for dentists in both Singapore and Malaysia, leading the assessment, recruitment, training and development of new advisors, and was instrumental in the creation of the 'Communication in Dentistry' and 'Record Keeping' risk management programmes. |  |
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Lorna Ead
Dento-legal Advisor
Lorna has 19 years of experience working as a dentist. She has worked primarily as a general dental practitioner and also has experience working as a community dental officer and as a hospital dentist.
In recent years, Lorna has worked as a dento-legal advisor for one of the large
mutual defence organisations. She is dedicated to supporting her dentist colleagues through a range of cases such as complaints, claims and regulatory issues.
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Russell Heathcote-Curtis
Dental Advisor Russell qualified as a dentist in 1980, working in general dental practice for 34 years. He has been through the cycle of associate, practice owner and after the practice was sold, back to working as an associate.
He's been a foundation trainer for several years and worked part time as a regional clinical director for a corporate for a year. He has been an active member of the BDA at branch and section level for many years along with being a member of Hertfordshire LDC including as vice chair. For the last 11 years he's worked at one of the mutual defence organisations dealing mostly with helping to devise targeted remediation programmes for registrants under investigation by NHSE/GDC/Trusts as well as advising dentists on the phone on a wide range of issues. |  |
Clare Lawrence
Dento-legal Advisor
Clare has 20 years of experience as a dentist, working in both primary and secondary care. She became a member of the Royal College of Surgeons and gained her diploma in Conscious Sedation from Guys before joining the Oral Surgery specialist list in 2008. Having worked in the dento‐legal field for the last six years, she has continued her interest in the law and recently became a member of the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine, going on to complete the diploma in forensic medical science. Clare is committed to pursuing proper and fair outcomes for her dental colleagues in all manner of dental complaints, claims, regulatory and disciplinary processes and advice cases. BDS MFDS RCS(Eng) Dip D Sed MFFLM DipFMS
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Shreeti Patel
Dento-legal Advisor
Shreeti completed her master’s in Medical law and Ethics in 2018 where she focused her dissertation on consent and regulation of endodontic treatment. Since completing her master’s in Endodontics at Guys in 1999, Shreeti practices in Oxfordshire where she is a principal dentist and provides endodontic services at two other practices in Berkshire.
With her legal and clinical expertise, Shreeti will be able to assist members with complex endodontic medico legal issues amongst other complaints, claims and regulatory cases. BDS LLM MSc (Endodontics) DGDP(UK)
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Lynn Stephens
Dento-legal Advisor
Lynn brings 15 years of dento-legal experience, including as a senior dento-legal adviser and underwriting committee member for a large
mutual defence organisation. Lynn managed the landmark Judicial Review of Powys LHB in 2014 which overturned the disallowing of NHS fees on the grounds that a full clinical examination had not been recorded and was therefore deemed not to have taken place. In 2015 the Court of Appeal confirmed the High Court’s decision to rule in favour of the dentists involved.
Lynn has both dental and legal qualifications. |  |
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Ruth Jeffery
Indemnity Case Manager
Ruth has 15 years’ experience in helping dentists with indemnity claims. Ruth supports the growing team of dento-legal advisors in delivering guidance and advice to members. Ruth is also responsible for providing managerial oversight of non-claims cases, the running of the department and advising on service delivery.
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