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Fitness to practise panel

Fitness to practise panel members

​Membership of the statutory committees that make decisions on dental professionals' fitness to practise is drawn from an independent pool of dental professionals and lay people called the fitness to practise panel.

Fitness to practise panellists can sit as members of Interim Orders, Professional Conduct, Professional Performance, Health or Registration Appeals Committees for hearings held by the Dental Professionals Hearings Service.

The role fitness to practise panellists play during a hearing

This video explains the part our independently appointed fitness to practise panel members play in hearings, and how this challenging role makes a difference to the public and patients by providing proportionate and fair regulation of dental professionals.

The fitness to practise panel is made up of dentists, dental care professionals (DCPs), and lay people. 


Dentist FtP panel member

Melissa Oura

Melissa Oura graduated in Dentistry from the University of Wales College of Medicine in 1996 and joined the Royal Naval ...

Dentist FtP panel member

Michael Speakman

Michael Speakman graduated the from University of Sheffield in 1993. He completed Vocational Training during 1994 before becoming an associate ...

Lay FtP panel member

Miranda Carruthers-Watt

Miranda Carruthers-Watt is a Solicitor, with over 30 years’ experience.  She has been a senior manager within the public sector ...

DCP FtP panel member

Natalie Lloyd

Natalie qualified in 2009 under the Manchester and Tameside NHS Dental Nurse Cadet Programme and has worked in Specialist Community ...

Dentist FtP panel member

Navidah Chaudhary

Navidah Chaudhary is a specialist periodontist and a Locum Consultant in Periodontology at Guy's Hospital, London. She graduated from the ...

Lay FtP panel member

Nora Nanayakkara

Nora has maintained a portfolio career of non-executive roles, consultancy and professional regulation services since 2009, when she was appointed ...

DCP FtP panel member

Olivia Kimber

Olivia is a dental nurse who has experience of NHS and private dentistry. She has worked as a nurse and ...

Dentist FtP panel member

Omar Bhutta

Omar Bhutta graduated from King's College London in the year 2000. Following completion of vocational training he moved to London ...

DCP FtP panel member

Orlinda Mpofu

Orlinda Mpofu qualified as a dental nurse in 2002 through Whitecross Dental Care training program. Whilst involved in the delivery ...