These include access to NHS dentistry, GDC and clinical negligence claims reform, child oral health, and growth of and support for the dental workforce.
A key recommendation outlined in Dental Protection’s ‘Priorities for the new government’ paper is to ensure dentistry is no longer an afterthought when it comes to planning regulation reform.
The government has entered Downing Street 40 years after the enactment of The Dentists Act – the legislation which gave the General Dental Council (GDC) its powers. The union said previous governments had progressed a range of reforms to other regulators’ legislation while making it clear that GDC reform was a lower priority.
Raj Rattan, dental director at Dental Protection, said, “Dentistry in the UK is at a crossroads. Important decisions - ranging from changes to the NHS General Dental Services Contract to GDC reform - which have been deferred and delayed must now be addressed.
“This new government needs to implement a wide package of much needed reforms to secure, strengthen and safeguard dental services for the future.”
The not-for-profit organisation said reform of the GDC’s outdated legislation could be important for reducing delays to fitness to practise processes. It could give the regulator greater discretion to stop investigations where allegations do not require action. The regulator could then focus on the most serious allegations and process them faster.
In a 2023 Dental Protection survey of 125 dental professionals who had been investigated by the dental regulator, 82 per cent said the process had a detrimental impact on their mental health.
Raj added, “It is time for GDC reform to be placed at the front of the queue. We urge the government to provide timescales for GDC reform and commit to delivering reforms to the professional regulators within this parliamentary term.
“As a dental defence organisation, we also believe that better access to NHS dentistry could play an important role in improving the patient experience and thereby reduce the risk of complaints. Contract reform needs to enable dental care professionals to work in different ways and to make the best use of the skill mix within the practice.”
Dental Protection said access to NHS dentistry across the country must also be tackled as a priority. Data from June 2023 showed 41 per cent of adults had seen an NHS dentist in the last two years and more than a quarter of pensioners feared they would have to carry out their own dentistry.
The defence organisation has also called for public health funding to enable councils to offer crucial early interventions in child oral health. Tooth decay is preventable, yet is one of the main reasons why children have been admitted to hospital.
Raj concluded, “The GDC itself has been calling for legislative reform for some years, as the current framework continues to limit its ability to deliver functions with efficiency. Successive governments have however failed to deliver on substantive reform to the legislation.
“Dental Protection is keen to support the new government in overhauling these vital policies and making positive progress as swiftly as possible.”