eGDCWhat happens after a hearing?
Shortly after the hearing, if your registration has been suspended or made conditional a Case Review Team (CRT) officer will write to you and your legal representatives regarding compliance with the order. The role of the CRT is to monitor your compliance with the order.
The responsibility for complying with the order is yours but the CRT will assist you by providing deadlines and a point of contact if you have queries, particularly if you do not have the support of a defence organisation.
If the order is breached, the CRT will notify the lawyer dealing with your case. The lawyer may request an early review of your case.
If your order is subject to a review, you will receive a Notice of Hearing from our solicitors in due course detailing arrangements for the next review hearing.
If you are represented, your defence organisation/solicitor may assist you with making the relevant arrangements.
If you are not represented, you may find the Dental Professionals Hearing Service's guide for registrants useful.
Suspensions or conditions
Interim orders
If the order for conditions or suspension is an interim order, you will carry on liaising about your case with:
- The fitness to practise Caseworker, about your referral to the Case Examiners or Investigating Committee.
- The in-house legal prosecution Paralegal about the Interim Orders Committee review hearings.
- The GDC lawyer, if your case is pending a substantive hearing.
Throughout the duration of the order, you will liaise with the Case Review Team about your conditions or suspension.
Interim orders will be reviewed by the IOC every six months or earlier in some specific circumstances.
Suspension
If you have been suspended, then you must not practise dentistry. To do so would be illegal practice.
You cannot profit from dentistry unless the suspension is solely on the grounds of health and has been determined by a Practice Committee. If the determination includes recommendations, you should send evidence of your compliance with the recommendations to the Case Review Team.
Health
If your case relates to your health; the Case Review Team will send you an agreement form which you should complete, sign and return. If applicable, pre-review expert reports and chemical testing arrangements will be made by the GDC's solicitors. You will need to plan for all other reports/testing as directed by the order or your defence solicitor.
You will need to pay for any testing during the course of your order unless the panel have clearly stated otherwise.
Any testing carried out at the end of the order for review purposes will be paid for by the GDC.
Conditions
The Case Review Team will send you a form confirming that you are aware that your registration is subject to conditions and that you agree to comply with them. You should sign, date and return this form within 14 days.
If any of your conditions apply at any time you provide dental services you must make the arrangements to comply with the conditions before going back to work.
Committees usually issue conditions from the GDC's data banks but can also issue bespoke conditions to registrants, tailored to their specific circumstances.
Immediate orders
If you have received an immediate order for conditions, you are required to comply with the conditions as soon as the order has been served on you. This will either be the date of the hearing if you were present/represented or two working days after the date that the determination has been sent to you.
The Case Review Team cannot and does not interpret orders. Orders are handed down by the panels and will be reviewed by panels.
If you cannot comply with a condition, please contact the CRT officer as soon as possible to discuss this further. Only a panel can vary the conditions on your registration, so an early review hearing may be necessary.
Please note that if there is a variation, it will not become effective until the 28-day appeal period has passed, and you may need to make arrangements accordingly.
Approval of roles for conditional cases
A committee can require that a person or persons should be nominated by a registrant for the roles of workplace supervisor (for cases where there are clinical concerns), a reporter and a medical supervisor (health related concerns). Anyone nominated for these roles must be approved by the GDC. Our Approval of roles for conditional and undertakings cases document is intended to provide guidance to external parties on the approval process.
Your contact details
Please ensure that you keep the GDC informed of any change to your address or other contact details as the CRT will need to contact you during your period of conditions/suspension. In addition, any hearing notices must be sent to your registered address.
Voluntary removal
If you no longer intend to practise and wish to have your name removed from the register; please contact your CRT officer who can explain the voluntary removal process to you.