MyGDCGDC launches consultation on new guidance for fitness to practise decision makers
We have today launched a 12-week consultation on new guidance for decision makers at the two earliest stages of its fitness to practise (FtP) process.
Areas of particular focus include guidance on sexual misconduct, discrimination, harassment and victimisation, offensive behaviour and freedom of expression, and health.
The work forms part of our 2026–2028 corporate strategy. One of our strategic objectives is to improve FtP, maximising patient safety and reducing unintended impacts, and to build trust among the public, the dental profession and its partners.
In line with its values, the guidance has been written in clear, plain language and largely free of technical terms, in an effort to ease some of the fear and uncertainty that surrounds FtP. The new guidance aims to be up to date and effective, and to support fair, consistent and proportionate decision-making.
The guidance addresses sexual misconduct and allegations of discrimination, harassment and victimisation. It emphasises the seriousness of these concerns and sets out the factors that decision makers should consider. It also draws on established definitions, including of antisemitism and anti-Muslim hostility, to help decision makers recognise how discrimination can manifest.
Offensive behaviour and freedom of expression are treated separately, with the guidance setting out the competing legal and public interest considerations that can arise in such cases.
Health concerns are treated differently. Decision makers are asked to approach these with compassion, focusing on the risk involved, how a condition is being managed and its impact on a professional's ability to practise, rather than the existence of the condition itself.
The consultation marks the final stage of a wider programme to review guidance for decision makers at every stage of the FtP process. Earlier changes include a streamlined approach for single-patient clinical concerns, since extended to cover less serious conduct concerns raised alongside them. This approach has cut the time to complete Initial Assessment from 30 weeks to 16.
The new guidance will directly affect dental professionals whose cases reach these stages, and their representatives, and is also relevant to patients, the public and other organisations with an interest in FtP. We encourage these groups, along with indemnifiers and professional bodies, to review the draft guidance and respond before the consultation closes at 23:59 on 2 November 2026.