The UK dental regulator, the General Dental Council (GDC), has today welcomed Government plans for UK healthcare regulation.  In its response to a Department of Health consultation, the GDC highlights significant changes it has already made to strengthen its role in protecting the public – measures which are in line with recommendations for all healthcare regulators.

As part of the GDC’s ongoing programme of modernisation it has: 

• applied the civil standard of proof for decision-making in inquiries into the fitness to practise of dental professionals;
• introduced an independent panel to make fitness to practise decisions;
  extended regulation to the whole dental team, including dental nurses and dental technicians; and
• put in place a compulsory continuing professional development scheme for dentists.

In addition, the GDC has made significant progress on:

• developing a system for the revalidation of all dental professionals (which will mean that they have to demonstrate on a regular basis that they are fit to practise);
• revising how Council members are selected and the make-up of the Council (on which it is currently consulting);
• working collaboratively with other regulators and the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE); and
• developing effective partnership working between the GDC and other bodies.

The GDC’s response to the consultation also emphasises the need for professional regulation to take account of the significant number of healthcare professionals working outside the NHS and the importance of healthcare regulators retaining responsibility for:

• keeping and maintaining registers of qualified professionals;
• setting standards for healthcare professionals throughout their career, to ensure the integrity of registers;
• quality-assuring education and training; and
• ensuring professionals’ continuing fitness to practise.

GDC President, Hew Mathewson, said:

“We are very pleased that the General Dental Council is leading the way in reforming healthcare regulation and that our crucial role in patient protection is recognised.  It is important that the responsibility of all healthcare regulators in setting and monitoring professional standards continues to be strengthened and developed.”

The GDC’s response to the Department of Health consultation on healthcare professional regulation is available on this website.

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Notes to Editors

1. A Department of Health review into the regulation of non-medical professionals - undertaken concurrently with the Chief Medical Officer’s review into the regulation of doctors were both published in July. At the same time, the Department of Health published a consultation on the recommendations in these reviews.
The review into non-medical regulation can be found on the following link.

The CMO’s report Good Doctors, Safer Patients can be found on the following link.

The Department of Health consultation can be found on the following link.

2. The GDC is currently consulting on the constitution of the Council following the introduction of statutory registration for dental nurses, dental technicians and other dental care professionals  This consultation is available on this website.

3. The General Dental Council is the organisation which regulates dental professionals in the UK.  All dentists, dental hygienists, dental therapists, clinical dental technicians and orthodontic therapists must be registered with the GDC to work in the UK - whether they work in the NHS, private practice or any other form of practice.  From 31 July 2008 all dental nurses and dental technicians must be registered with the GDC to work in the UK.

The GDC’s purpose is to protect patients by:

• registering qualified dental professionals,
• setting high standards of dental practice and behaviour,
• quality-assuring dental education,
• making sure dental professionals keep up to date,
• helping people who want to make a complaint about a dental professional, and
• taking action if a dental professional is no longer safe to practise.

More information about all areas of the GDC’s work is available on this website.