Reminder about continuing professional development for dental care professionals 

This August will see 47,000 dental care professionals asked to tell us how many hours of CPD they have completed in the first year of their CPD cycle. This covers everyone who registered with us before 30 July 2008. (Please note dental care professionals who registered after this date won’t have to fill in a return form until August 2010.)

We’re trying to make the CPD return as easy as possible. As well as paper forms which you will be sent and can return to us, this year we are launching an alternative service to enable professionals to fill in their details quickly and accurately online.  If you need advice about this, you will be able to use a special telephone helpline and email advice service.

Letters explaining the process in more detail are being sent out in the first week of August.

This declaration is only part of our requirements. Professionals have to maintain their own records, with certificates to prove they have completed verifiable CPD activity.  This is important as we carry out audits at the end of each five year cycle.

GDC Registration Development Manager Sarah Arnold said:

”We’re frequently asked for advice about how best to complete continuing professional development. It’s important to remember you don’t have to pay out for expensive courses. You can use team activities you organise yourself for example. If you can’t find events near you, you can also explore online courses. Our website www.gdc-uk.org has lots of information about the kinds of activities which count towards CPD. It’s also got examples of a recording form and a verifiable activity certificate you can take a look at. ”

Professionals can contact us with any questions by emailing gdcregistration@gdc-uk.org or calling our Customer Advice and Information Team on +44 (0) 845 222 414.

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For media enquiries, please contact Elizabeth Curtis on 020 7009 2728 or ecurtis@gdc-uk.org

Notes to editors:

1. The GDC does not approve or accredit any CPD activities. 
2. By law, dental care professionals must do and keep records of 150 hours of CPD over every five year cycle. At least 50 of these hours must be verifiable CPD. 
3. To be verifiable CPD, the activity must have: 
   concise educational aims and objectives; clear anticipated outcomes; quality controls (i.e there must be an opportunity for you to give feedback on what you think of it);  registrants must obtain and keep documentary proof of attendance/participation from an appropriate third party. 
   

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