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Fitness to Practise panel

Fitness to Practise panel members

​Membership of the GDC's Statutory Committees which 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. These panellists can sit as members of Interim Orders, Professional Conduct, Professional Performance, Health or Registration Appeals Committees.

The role Fitness to Practise panel members play during a hearing

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


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

Lay FtP panel member

Clive Powell

Clive Powell JP QDR was appointed as a Justice of the Peace in 1986 and has been engaged in professional ...

Lay FtP panel member

Colin Youngson

Colin Youngson was a government statistician for almost 30 years, culminating in being chief statistical adviser to the Ministry of ...

Lay FtP panel member

Corinna Kershaw

Corinna is a former administrator, librarian and local councillor, and has held a variety of voluntary roles in education and ...

DCP FtP panel member

Corinne Shippey

Corinne Shippey qualified with distinction as a dental nurse in 1996. She trained at West Kent College in Tonbridge in ...

Lay FtP panel member

David Wood

David Wood served as a police officer with the Metropolitan Police Service for 31 years, investigating, or leading teams and ...

Lay FtP panel member

Debbie Gould

Deborah Gould is a Principal Crown Advocate for the West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service and has been a barrister for ...

DCP FtP panel member

Deborah Jones

Debbie Jones originally trained as a physiotherapist at Guy's Hospital, working in several hospitals in England and Wales. In 1995 ...

Lay FtP panel member

Diane Meikle

Diane is a Corporate Finance professional. Diane’s career provided her with a broad range of experience spanning high value corporate ...

DCP FtP panel member

Donna Lightbody

Donna trained and qualified as a Dental Nurse in 1991 in Co Down. She also holds the NEBDN Award in ...