Framework for Professionalism: Shaping a new approach to standards and guidance with the support of the profession

Our proposed Framework for Professionalism is a critical plank in the 2026-2028 Strategy. It sits at the heart of our commitment to support dental professionals to provide safe and effective care for their patients, and will be one of the primary means by which we put that commitment into practice.

The consultation proposals represent the culmination of a comprehensive programme of research, engagement and policy development over several years. Early versions of the framework have been shaped through ongoing engagement with professional bodies, educators and the profession. A process that began in September 2023.  

Since then, we have talked to the representatives of over 55 organisations, engaged directly with over 400 registrants, and sought the opinions of more professionals and patients through commissioned research, workshops and surveys.

At each stage we have reflected on what we’ve heard and developed our thinking and proposals, while keeping our development goals in sight, which include setting standards and guidance in a way that encourages the use of professional judgement.

This represents a significant shift. At the core of our proposals for a new Framework for Professionalism is a principle-based approach. Our goal is to give the dental team access to the tools they need to provide safe and effective care, guided by principles and drawing on best practice, guidance and advice, when needed.

Principles that guide the dental team, not dictate

Rules tell you what to do. Principles help you decide what to do.

It’s an important distinction, and an important one to understand.

We want to shift the focus away from detailed rules, as set out in the Standards for the Dental Team, to a clear set of principles to guide professional decision-making. To give the dental team more autonomy and space to use their professional judgement in countless scenarios and situations.  

At the centre of the proposed Framework for Professionalism, are four consistent and easy to remember, Principles of Professionalism:

• Treat patients with respect.
• Practise safely and effectively.
• Maintain trust in the profession.
• Work in partnership with others.

We have taken time to develop these principles, and there have been several iterations as a result of our engagement with the profession and patients. For the new framework to work well, we will need to make sure the principles are useful and meet the needs of the profession.  

Show me, don't tell me

The principles on their own are not enough.

From our early discussions with stakeholders, it became clear that the framework could be improved by giving the dental team more of a steer on how to demonstrate professionalism, particularly on how to use their professional judgement.

That important insight led to the development of a new category within the framework, Expectations. But we wanted to avoid creating just another prescriptive list, so we’re proposing that Expectations provide simple and clear examples of how professionals can demonstrate alignment with each of the Principles of Professionalism.

We intend Expectations to form part of the statutory element of the framework, and they are set out under each of the four principles. They provide examples of the ways the dental team can show their professionalism, but are not definitive lists. 

We’re looking to strike a balance here.

We want to be clear about what is expected, without being overly prescriptive.

We need to set some boundaries through guidance

During our discussions, we’ve heard that some dental professionals prefer ‘hard and fast rules,’ particularly in the context of what others might do in practice. And we of course must recognise the role that directive guidance plays in public protection.

We agree that boundaries do need to be set, providing clear direction and being explicit about legal and professional obligations. These are not designed to restrict professionals, but to protect the public and support the use of professional judgement. We proposed doing this through Professional Guidance.

Professional Guidance is statutory - professionals will need to understand and follow it. It is important to note that it also means that Professional Guidance may be referenced in fitness to practise proceedings. Examples of Professional Guidance include the Scope of Practice and Reporting Matters to the GDC.

That said, we’ve been cautioned by stakeholders about the possibility of derailing efforts to move to a principle-based system through guidance ‘mission creep.’ The suggestion is that more and more Professional Guidance will be added to the framework over time, adding a regulatory burden on the profession.

Our intention is to only issue Professional Guidance when there is a clear need to ensure patient safety and public confidence, and where the GDC is the right body to provide it.

Supporting material keeps it current

The Principles of Professionalism, Expectations and Professional Guidance will remain static, and we would carry out further consultation if they needed to change.

That presents us with a challenge for areas where additional advice or support would be helpful to the dental team, for example where context and nuance are important. We need a vehicle to help us to share learning and accommodate changes in practice, such as the introduction of new technology.

Our proposal is for Supporting Material to do this job.

Our 2026-2028 Strategy sets out our commitment to sharing learning and information on emerging issues in a timely way, including learning from complaints and fitness to practise investigations. We plan to do this by reacting quickly and keeping Supporting Material refreshed and focused on the needs of the dental team. 

A good example of what might be included is advice on chairside support, where the need for support and the level required may depend on a range of factors. Current guidance statements aren’t helpful for every situation, and the need to assess a variety of risks is better explained using real life examples, rather than rules.

The flexibility offered by Supporting Materials is another big change.

Supporting Material was identified by stakeholders as a crucial element for the success of a less prescriptive model of standards and guidance. Stakeholders also suggested that there was an appetite for more information and support on topics, such as health and wellbeing and effective complaint handling, amongst others.

Have your say on the proposed framework

We’re proposing a significant change with implications for the wider system of professional regulation, particularly on how we assess risk and fitness to practise in dentistry. We don’t expect everyone to agree, but it is hard to argue against the need to modernise our approach, as our understanding of practice and behaviour changes. 

The risks to patients and the range of treatments on offer are changing fast and regulation needs to keep up. We have seen evidence of declining oral health, oral health inequalities are widening and increasing numbers of people are reaching older age fully or partially dentate. Throw in advances in dentistry and the introduction of new technologies, and it would be difficult to argue that it has ever been more important to introduce greater flexibility into our standards and guidance framework.

Key to the success of the new Framework for Professionalism is that it is embraced by the dental team. That will only happen if it is useful and meets their needs.

We encourage all dental professionals, patients and other stakeholders to review the proposals and submit views before the consultation closes on 31 August.