Dental Protection: More clarity needed on timeframes for GDC reform
NewsPosted by: Dental Design 12th December 2023
Dental Protection says it is disappointed that the Government’s update on its reform programme for the healthcare professions does not include a more specific timetable for improving dental regulation.
The comments follow a DHSC update on its reform programme – in particular on the draft legislation to bring Physician Associates and Anaesthesia Associates into regulation. This is the first part of the reform programme, and it is intended to form a blueprint for reforming how other health professions are regulated – eventually including dentists and dental care professionals.
Dr Raj Rattan, Dental Director at Dental Protection, said: “The Dentists Act is now nearly 40 years old. It is outdated and reform is seriously overdue. The GDC needs more flexibility to streamline its processes, improve efficiency, reduce the number of investigations into less serious allegations and to ensure that investigations conclude more quickly.
“The Government said it will in the first instance focus on reforms to the GMC, NMC and HCPC, with no commitment made to when GDC reform will progress.
“Our hope was that in this update the Government would publish a more specific timetable for GDC reform, however there is no further detail, which is disappointing.
“We will continue to push the Government to publish a specific timetable for GDC reform and provide dental professionals with some certainty on when they may finally be able to benefit from reform to their regulator.”
