DBS checks are essential for GP surgeries as it helps to maintain complete safety for services provided to vulnerable groups.

It is important that GP surgeries make safe recruitment procedures so that they can meet desired legal compliance.

It is important to find the most appropriate type of DBS check at all levels to safeguard the vulnerable groups. If you are also unsure about these checks, we advise you to go through the details below to give you clarification on any uncertainty you may have.

Who needs DBS checks for GP Surgeries?

All individuals that are responsible for providing healthcare services to the general public are required to undertake an Enhanced DBS Check.

This is the highest level of DBS check and it provides information about both unspent and spent convictions. At the same time, it collects details about any warnings, cautions and reprimands that the respective applicant has received in the past. These checks also collect some essential information from local police to ensure that the candidate is suitable for the specific job role.

It is therefore important to have Enhanced DBS checks for all employees that are working in the healthcare sector; especially health care assistants, nurses and doctors.

The fact is that healthcare services fall under regulated activities. Anyone working in this direction needs to undergo checks as per the barred list for children and vulnerable adults. This means that entire information must be cross-referenced from these lists to ensure that the candidate is legally permitted to provide this kind of services.

At the same time, people that are providing assistance to those who provide primary care facilities are also required to take Enhanced DBS checks as per the barred list. This is because they are also responsible for providing essential healthcare facilities to the patients and would be classed as being involved in regulated activities.

Employees not responsible for providing healthcare services:

In the field of GP surgeries, it is also possible to find many job roles that are not engaged directly in providing care facilities to the patients; such as reception staff. These types of candidates are required to follow a Basic DBS Check as they have access to the healthcare receipt of the patients.

This check provides detailed information about the criminal background of the individual; however, these checks will not gather any information from local police departments.

Basic DBS Checks checks beneficial for job roles where individuals will not provide any personal care service. However, they will come across a patent’s receipt of care on a regular basis. In case if any of these are responsible for the dressing of patients or children supervision, then they need to undergo an Enhanced DBS check. This helps to safeguard the vulnerable groups while ensuring the highest quality of service.