Reporting unfitness to practise
As part of our duty to protect the public, if a dentist or dental care professional falls seriously short of the standards expected of them we can either remove from the Register, or restrict what they can do professionally. These powers, given to us by Parliament, cover all registered dentists and dental care professionals whether they’re working in the NHS or in private practice.
There may be doubts about a registrant's fitness to practise due to:
Of course, we look carefully at every case. In some cases we may simply offer advice rather than removing or restricting a dental professional's registration.
Concerns about a dental professional’s fitness to practise may come to us from a number of parties. As a registered dental professional yourself you have a duty to raise concerns if necessary. And, of course, patients themselves may approach us.
When they do if they are unsure who can help, we advise them. This may involve referring them back to their practice or elsewhere, for instance to their local primary care trust. If we become involved a patient needs to provide us with certain information. Allegations are then dealt with following the three stages of our fitness to practise procedures which are designed to protect patients and to be fair.
If you have any queries about our fitness to practise procedures or wish to raise a serious concern yourself about a dentist or dental care professional, please call us on 020 7009 2701 or email us at FitnessToPractiseDepartment@gdc-uk.org