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Principle 3: Maintain trust in the profession   

 

Act with honesty, and integrity, ensuring your actions maintain the trust of colleagues, patients, and the public.

There are many ways that you can demonstrate that you are maintaining trust in the profession. Below we have highlighted some expectations with regards to maintaining trust, however, it is important to recognise that this is not a complete list.

As a dental professional, you are expected to:

  • Put patient interests at the centre of what you do, and encouraging others to do the same.
  • Conduct your life both inside and outside work, including on social media (or online), in such a way that maintains your patients’ trust in you, and the public’s confidence to seek oral healthcare. 
  • Demonstrate candour, being open and transparent in your interactions with patients, colleagues, regulators, and others.
  • Ensure that all your communication, with patients and others, including advertising, is accurate, truthful and not misleading.
  • Act fairly and do not discriminate against people for any reason, including, but not limited to, any legally protected characteristics.
  • Prioritise the safety and wellbeing of vulnerable patients by recognising, responding to, and reporting any safeguarding concerns.
  • Maintain appropriate personal and professional boundaries in the relationships you have with patients, colleagues and the public.
  • Ensure you have appropriate indemnity or insurance arrangements in place so patients can obtain compensation if something goes wrong.
  • Raise concerns without delay if patients or colleagues are at risk and take measures to protect them.
  • Understand your duties to report concerns about your fitness to practise or that of another healthcare professional to the appropriate healthcare regulator, and your obligation to inform the GDC if you are convicted of a crime or sanctioned are subject to criminal or regulatory proceedings anywhere in the world.
  • Cooperate with investigations of public bodies, including the GDC, fully and in a timely way, and comply with any sanction that may follow.