GDC consults on proposals to update decision making guidance for practice committees

We are consulting on proposed revisions to the decision making guidance for practice committees, administered by the Dental Professionals Hearings Service, who consider allegations where a public protection issue or concern has been raised about a dental professional’s behaviour, clinical practice or health.   

The move will better align the guidance with the four stages of a hearing and make it easier to understand. 

 Stefan Czerniawski, Executive Director of Strategy at the GDC, said: 

“We are proposing revisions to the guidance, to ensure that dental professionals and the public can be confident that decision making is transparent, consistent and proportionate.” 

The changes include new guidance on discrimination and harassment, special measures to support vulnerable witnesses and reasonable adjustments for registrants.  

“There is also guidance on sexual misconduct that underlines the seriousness of this type of behaviour and makes it clear that cases in which the victim is a member of the dental team are no less serious than those relating to patients,” he added.  

Independent panellists who make up practice committees make decisions about whether a dental professional’s fitness to practise is currently impaired. Where there is a finding of impairment, panellists will also decide on any action needed to protect the public.  

In addition to ensuring the guidance is up to date, for example, by having regard for relevant case law developments and research findings, the proposals support consistency of approach, transparency and proportionality in decision making by practice committees.  

Although the number of serious concerns we have received and initially assessed has more than halved over the last decade, our research has shown that fitness to practise processes are difficult, take too long and cause stress and negative impacts on mental health and wellbeing of those involved.   

Substantial improvement to fitness to practise processes depends on reform of restrictive and inflexible legislation, which is out of date compared to modern practices. In the absence of reform, we are making changes to fitness to practise processes where we can, to reduce the negative impact, and these proposals represent one of these changes.  

The proposals will directly affect those who participate in practice committee proceedings in future, and their representatives.  

The consultation opens today for 12 weeks, and will close on 26 November 2024.