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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).

Dentist FtP panel member

Harpreet Ark

Harpreet Ark qualified as a dentist from the University of Birmingham in 2008. On completion of vocational training she pursued ...

Dentist FtP panel member

Helen Baker

Helen Baker gained her BDS from Bristol University in 1987. She has been an associate in a general dental practice ...

Lay FtP panel member

Helen Goulding

Helen Goulding is the Director of Quercus Training, a small company which provides training and coaching in professional skills and ...

DCP FtP panel member

Helen Griffiths

Helen Griffiths studied Financial Economics in Dundee, graduating with an MA (Hons) in 1995. She undertook dental nurse training in ...

Dentist FtP panel member

Helen Vaughan

Helen qualified as a dentist from Bristol University in 1986 and has worked in the community and hospital service. After ...

Lay FtP panel member

Helen Wagner

Helen Wagner has a background managing transformation and change in a wide variety of professional regulators and the public sector.  ...

DCP FtP panel member

Helen Woodall

Helen Woodall is a senior registered dental nurse working in a large hospital maxillofacial department in the West Midlands. She ...

DCP FtP panel member

Jacqueline Hart

Jacky Hart worked as a dental nurse for seven years before having her family. When her youngest child started school ...

Lay FtP panel member

Jane Everitt

Jane is a solicitor by profession (non-practising). She is a member of the Law Society. She currently chairs Fitness to ...