The General Dental Council (GDC) is consulting on a proposal to improve guidance to make it easier for dental professionals to understand what they need to report to their regulator, in the interests of patient safety and maintaining public confidence.
The proposal is new ‘Guidance on reporting matters to the GDC’ that will build upon and replace the current guidance on reporting criminal proceedings.
The proposed guidance will not introduce new requirements for dental professionals but will bring together, guidance related to all matters which need to be reported to the regulator.
Dental professionals are required to report to the GDC any concerns they may have about their own or another dental professional’s health, conduct, or performance that may risk patient safety or public confidence in the dental profession. They must also report any criminal or regulatory proceedings that they may be subject to. The new guidance will cover all these matters.
The GDC will be welcoming feedback by June 8, 2023, when the consultation closes.
Stefan Czerniawski, GDC executive director, strategy, said, “This proposal aims to improve our guidance to make it easier for dental professionals to understand what they need to report to us. These changes are part of our wider ambition to promote professional behaviours, skills, and attributes across dentistry. Consultation is an important stage in the development of guidance, as the responses we receive will help us ensure that the final version is clear and effective – so I strongly encourage dental professionals and others with an interest to respond.”