eGDCFitness to Practise reports
Each year we publish a statistical report that details the key activities and outcomes related to fitness to practise cases. It includes information on the types and sources of concerns raised, demographic profiles of dental professionals involved, and the outcomes of the investigations.
The 2024 report, which breaks down FtP cases by a range of EDI characteristics, including ethnicity, shows that 1,401 new concerns were received during 2024, representing an 8% increase compared to the previous year. Of these concerns, 88% were resolved at assessment and case examiner stages, with only 12% progressing to a practice committee hearing.
In total, we completed 1,294 assessments during 2024, a 10% decrease from 2023, reflecting a reduced caseload in this area during the year. The number of Practice Committee initial hearings held also decreased by 18%, from 91 in 2023 to 73 in 2024.
Our report shows meaningful improvements in case handling efficiency, with 76% of cases meeting assessment timeframe targets in Q4 2024. Additional resources added to the Case Examiners team in the third quarter of 2024 are expected to clear the backlog of older cases by mid-2025.