The GDC’s fitness to practise procedures are intended to enable the council to protect the public by dealing with concerns about dentists effectively, promptly and fairly. Hempsons’ guide, produced by its highly experienced dento-legal team, explains the GDC’s processes, which are becoming increasingly complex.
The head of Hempsons’ dental department, Chris Morris, is a qualified dentist as well as a senior and respected solicitor, a member of the British Dental Association and president of the Dental Law & Ethics Forum. Chris explains: “The central function of the GDC is to create and maintain a register of dentists and dental care professionals. The GDC also has an ongoing role to strengthen patient protection, which it carries out in a number of ways. The introduction of the Dental Complaints Service for private treatment was one such initiative, as was the decision to register and regulate all members of the clinical dental team.” The GDC’s fitness to practise procedures are also intended to improve patient protection, not least by its powers to deal with underperforming dentists.
“Hempsons’ Fitness to Practise guide is very timely, because there has been a lot of change in GDC procedures recently, and increasing numbers of dentists will become subject to GDC proceedings at some stage in their careers,” continues Chris. “Our team has many years’ experience in representing dentists and we wanted to simplify the procedures for our clients and explain the significance of these changes.”
Hempsons’ Fitness to Practise guide can be downloaded from its website – www.hempsons.co.uk/what-we-do/sectors/practitioners/services/dentists/