Providers can claim paternity leave payments if their clinician meets the qualifying conditions.
Providers can claim for a period of 2 weeks, which must be full 7-day periods.
The periods can be taken consecutively or separately within 26 weeks of the birth or adoption.
Paternity leave payments are taxable and fully pensionable.
Read the full Statement of Financial Entitlement (SFE).
Who can apply
A provider can claim paternity leave payments for a clinician it employs if the clinician has:
- been named on an NHS dental performer list for 2 years, including one year of approved vocational training, with 26 weeks continuous employment before the date of birth or adoption
- a partner who's given birth or adopted and is the main carer of that child
- stopped performing dental services on the contract
- not registered as a Limited Company
If the SFE application relates to surrogacy, email our SFE team at sfe@nhsbsa.nhs.uk who'll assist further.
How to apply
You can apply for paternity leave payments by downloading and completing the application form.
Clinicians in England must email their completed application to nhsbsa.dentalservices@nhsbsa.nhs.uk.
Clinician in Wales must email their completed application to nwssp-primarycareservices@wales.nhs.uk.
Separate applications must be made for each contract you're a clinician on.
Applications must be received:
- no earlier than one month before the payment start date
- no later than 3 months after the payment start date
You must check the figures are correct on Compass before the claim is submitted.
A recalculation will only be made in exceptional circumstances.
Sending evidence
The application must include:
- the expected due date
- a MATB1 if it's before the birth
- the birth certificate if it's after the birth
Payments
Providers are paid a weekly amount based on the clinician's Net Pensionable Earnings (NPE) or Net Pensionable Earnings Equivalent (NPEE) on Compass at the date the payment is due.
Weekly payments cannot exceed £1,660 for a dental clinician and £3,630 for orthodontic clinicians.
An orthodontic clinician is a clinician who earns 50% or more of their weekly NPE or NPEE from orthodontic services.
If the clinician leaves the contract during the payment period, payments will stop.
If the dates of leave change from those on the initial SFE application, the provider must contact nhsbsa.dentalservices@nhsbsa.nhs.uk.