A view from the Chair: highlights from Council’s public meeting, annual renewal has opened for dental care professionals, and the public consultation on our Corporate Strategy continues

I was very pleased that June’s public Council meeting was available online via a live stream for the first time last week, giving the public an opportunity to see the work of Council and the organisation firsthand. This is one step towards improving transparency, in line with our values: respectful, transparent, inclusive, purposeful.

We have adopted these values recognising the challenge which they represent. I know that some of you will not recognise these values as describing the GDC of today. They represent a challenge. Nevertheless, our commitment is to strive to act in line with them so that they become recognised over time as characterising the GDC and everyone’s experience of us.

Next steps on the updated Scope of Practice

Council considered the revised Scope of Practice guidance at the meeting. We had planned to publish this guidance late last year. However, after a meeting with professional bodies, indemnifiers and other stakeholder groups we decided to delay publication to respond to further feedback. Stakeholders told us that the guidance would benefit from some changes that would make it clearer to dental professionals.

Over the past six months, the team have met with these groups and discussed possible changes which remain aligned to what we proposed in the consultation. Council recognised that the additional work alongside our stakeholders had led to much improved guidance. We are aiming to publish the guidance in September, to come into force in October.

Embedding equality, diversity and inclusion into everything we do

Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) are part of our values and central to everything we do, both as a regulator and as a responsible employer. In their meeting last week, Council reviewed progress on the current EDI strategy, and the structures in place to ensure delivery against each of the five objectives.

We have an EDI delivery group representing all areas of the organisation. Each Executive Director owns and sponsors one of the five objectives, has an EDI objective as part of their personal objectives and sponsors one of our staff networks. Executive Directors are also members of the delivery group where they support colleagues to deliver the commitment and remove any barriers to progress.

Council discussed how EDI is becoming embedded as an aspect of how we think about everything we do. Examples are the Safe Practitioner framework, which will start to be delivered by most education and training providers from August 2025, includes specific requirements for EDI to help to develop and support an inclusive profession. The Registration and Fitness to Practise (FtP) statistical reports include an analysis of the registers and FtP cases by protected characteristics. Inclusion is one of the four themes that run through the GDC’s research programme and much of our research and insight activity seeks to provide evidence to inform our EDI activity.

Dental care professionals can renew their registration

We opened our annual renewal period for dental care professionals (DCPs) on 9 June. This is very important for two reasons. First, this is a crucial process that ensures that DCPs remain on the UK register and continue to provide essential dental care to patients. To do so, DCPs must:

• Pay the Annual Retention Fee (ARF) of £96 by 31 July.
• Make an indemnity declaration by 31 July.
• Submit a CPD statement by 28 August.

Second, annual renewal is an opportunity to complete a working patterns survey as part of the renewal process. The five-minute survey gathers data on where DCPs work, the type of care they provide, and their weekly working hours.

The data on working patterns of all dental professionals is very useful for workforce planners and informs the debate about the dental workforce required to provide good oral health for all.

Respond to the Corporate Strategy consultation

The public consultation on our proposed Corporate Strategy from 2026 to 2028 started in May and you have until 21 August to respond. The strategy is titled ‘Trusted and Effective: A Strategy for Dental Regulation’.

We have taken on board feedback from dental professionals and stakeholders and heard the need for the GDC to modernise and reform. We also heard about the fear that some registrants feel about the fitness to practice process. We have listened and Council is confident that addressing these priorities is at the centre of our proposals.

The proposals include our vision, which is good oral health for all. We want to play our part, with others, in achieving this. Our mission is that, through trusted and effective regulation, we will support dental professionals to provide the right care for their patients.

Please do take time to review and provide feedback.