NHS Employees, Hospital Workers and Medical Practitioners

DBS checks for NHS staff

Speed-up and simplify your onboarding process with DDC today and manage all your DBS checks for NHS staff, from one easy to use system. This includes those working within an NHS/Hospital setting, or going onto medical sites to provide goods or services. The level of check you need for your applicants may vary depending on job roles and where the activity takes place. This page is designed to give you more information and answer your questions.

As an Umbrella Body for the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), Disclosure Scotland (SCRO) and Access Northern Ireland (AccessNI) we can take away the burden of processing a large batch of DBS checks. No matter how many checks you need, DDC can help to streamline your checking process, saving you time and resources.

DBS/CRB Checks for NHS staff and Healthcare Professionals – Register for free today  

If you would like to arrange a demo of our system, Enquire today to set a date

Many NHS Trusts and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) select a single Umbrella Body to process their DBS applications, or they may register themselves directly with the Disclosure and Barring Service. DDC offer an eBulk solution for Hospitals, Trusts and CCGs looking to outsource the processing of DBS checks for staff and volunteers. You can view our webpage about our eBulk application service for more information.

Why not call one of the team on 0845 644 3298 to discuss how our system can match your organisation structure? 

Most Trusts are unlikely to offer a DBS checking service for any external staff employed by a third party. Under these circumstances they will ask the third party employer to obtain the required checks upon their staff prior to the commencement of a contract, which can be processed through DDC.

How to obtain DBS checks on your staff?

If your organisation will not be processing more that 100 checks per year then you will need to Register your organisations with an Umbrella Body such as DDC Ltd. We can open an account for you quickly, there is no registration fee or set-up costs and you could be processing checks today! Our eBulk systems allow the fast and efficient submission of applications to the DBS.

DDC Ltd can offer a no obligation trial, optional extra services and full support to reduce the internal resource needed by your team. Learn more about our Application Process and Costs here.

Who needs a DBS/CRB Check?

In general the employer should decide which job roles need a check and at what level. The NHS Employers website provides guidance on role eligibility to assist in the decision making processes. If your organisation is working along side a Trust or Hospital and have asked you to obtain a check, they can normally advise the level of check they require you to obtain. Some of the more common roles that are checked include:

More than just DBS checks – Obtain and manage reference checks for NHS staff with DDC

Support your DBS checks with professional and independently verified reference checks for your employees.

Our reference checking service can save you time, money and help you protect your reputation. Never chase a referee again!

Find out how we can help you manage and obtain references and verify employment history here.

What Level of DBS Check should my staff have?

Unfortunately there is no exhaustive list which will tell you exactly what level to request based upon the job title of the employee. The decision to check staff rests with the employer and any sector specific guidance you have been provided. The NHS website also provides useful guidance on criminal record checking requirements for eligible roles. The key to making this decision will be to evaluate the role in two aspects:

1. What level of Disclosure can you request? – The first aspect is to decide what level of Disclosure you are legally entitled to request upon the employee, based upon the setting where they will work and the potential for contact with vulnerable adults and U18’s. To help with this process you can view the current DBS guide to eligibility and some of our webpages relating to Regulated Activity.
2. What is the appropriate level of check for the job being undertaken? – The second task would be to run a risk assessment on the job role on offer, taking into account aspects such as; the level of supervision, the control of access (e.g. restricted areas) , the type of contact with children/vulnerable adults (e.g. incidental) and any other safeguarding policies put in place.

Once the role has been assessed, you can decide the level of Disclosure to obtain on your staff. We strongly recommend that you record this Risk Assessment process to ensure best practice. If you have received any external guidance e.g. from a specific Hospital or Trust, it is also recommended that this information is kept for your records.

If you have any general questions you may wish to try our DBS FAQ section or contact us directly.

Contracting to the NHS?

For those not directly employed by the NHS, but contracted to provide services, they may also need to obtain checks on staff. The following online document confirms the NHS policy on checking staff . Contractors should be informed of the level of Disclosure they should obtain. For any organisation dealing with data relating to patients, the Health and Social Care Information Centre have produced guidance on the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) website, using the IG Toolkit under requirement number 111.

Please note that as of March 2015 a new job function has been added to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions) Order 1975 relating to the following role:

Any employment or other work in England and Wales regarding counter fraud, investigation and security management in the National Health Service (NHS)

For more information please read our NHS Update News Article.