General Dental Council appears before the Health Select Committee
The General Dental Council’s Chair and Chief Executive appeared before the Health Committee for an accountability hearing on Wednesday 11 March 2015.
William Moyes and Evlynne Gilvarry were asked about work that’s underway to improve the GDC’s fitness to practise processes, reasons behind the increase in the annual retention fee for dentists in 2015 and what benefits could be expected from any future legislative change.
The Committee shared the GDC’s disappointment that legislative change had not occurred during the current Parliament and welcomed the GDC setting out the need for reform.
MPs were also interested in how the complaints process could be better improved for patients.
The Chair and Chief Executive both welcomed the opportunity to attend the hearing.
The GDC is wholly committed to achieving high standards of regulation and was pleased to engage with the Committee members regarding the range of measures that have been put in place to meet the challenges that face dental regulation.
Ahead of the hearing the GDC made a written submission which set out the organisation’s current programme of work for reform and innovation of dental regulation as well as setting how it has responded to recent challenges.
Concerns were raised in the submission about the ongoing constraints caused out-of-date legislation and called for this to be addressed in the first session of the new Parliament.
The GDC also outlined its enhanced programme for Continuing Professional Development requirements for dental professionals, which will be piloted 2015/2016.
A greater focus on whistleblowing was also highlighted by the regulator following on from Sir Robert Francis’ Speak Up review to which the GDC made significant contributions.
The organisation is the UK-wide statutory regulator of just over 100,000 members of the dental team, including 40,000 dentists and 60,000 dental care professionals.
It sets standards of good practice; requirements for entry onto the dental register and takes action through our Fitness to Practise processes where there are concerns about the performance or conduct of a dental professional.
The GDC also has a broader role overseeing education and training, setting skill requirements, and resolving complaints.
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