The General Dental Council (GDC) received 138 whistleblowing disclosures between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, a 74% increase on the previous year, according to the 2026 report on whistleblowing disclosures.
The GDC said the rise, 59 more disclosures than the previous year, could have been driven by a 26% increase in the overall number of concerns it received over the same period, and by changes that make it easier for informants to identify themselves as whistleblowers when raising a concern.
The dental regulator, alongside eight other UK health and social care regulators, published the annual report.
Key findings:
- The GDC received 138 whistleblowing disclosures, up 74% (59) on the previous year. All 138 resulted in the opening of a fitness to practise case.
- 99 cases proceeded to regulatory action, and 39 were closed at assessment stage due to a lack of information.
- 82 cases remain at the assessment stage; 17 referred to case examiners, of which seven have gone to a practice committee.
- 87 concerns from dental professionals, 29 from non-registrants working in dentistry, and 22 anonymous, more than tripling last year’s six.
- Conduct concerns were raised in 92 of the 138 disclosures, up from 54.
The joint report highlights the regulators’ coordinated efforts to address the serious issues raised by whistleblowers. It sets out how each regulator handled disclosures, highlights the actions taken and aims to raise confidence among whistleblowers that their disclosures are taken seriously.
All 138 disclosures were made directly to the GDC’s Fitness to Practise team, and each one resulted in regulatory action, namely the opening of a fitness to practise case. Of these, 99 proceeded with regulatory action taken. The other 39 were closed at the assessment stage because the GDC did not have enough information to progress them, despite its efforts to obtain it from the reporting whistleblowers.
Of the 99 remaining cases, 82 are still at the assessment stage and may lead to a referral to case examiners. These open cases could lead to a range of resolving actions determined by a statutory practice committee. This includes removal from the register, suspension from the register, conditions for a determined period, or the conclusion that a registrant’s fitness to practise is not impaired and the case can be closed, with no further action.
The GDC referred 17 cases to case examiners, seven of which have gone on to a practice committee and 10 await consideration.
Dental professionals submitted 87 of the concerns, up from 51 last year, while 29 came from non-registrants employed in dentistry, up from 22, and 22 were anonymous, up from six. Conduct concerns rose from 54 to 92 this year.
The GDC publishes the report jointly with the General Chiropractic Council, General Medical Council, General Optical Council, General Osteopathic Council, General Pharmaceutical Council, Health and Care Professions Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council and Social Work England.
Read more about the GDC’s definition of a whistleblower, how to raise a concern if you work in dentistry, and download the Whistleblowing Disclosures Report 2026.
