Latest updates from the GDC
View from the Chair: Council's first meeting of the year, improving CPD where we can, and looking ahead to more engagement
Our Chair, Lord Harris, provides an update on the latest discussions at Council, which included a review of our performance against the standards for regulators and the implementation of our current Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.
The Chair also highlights CPD changes and forthcoming opportunities for you to engage and share your views and ideas.
Making CPD simpler and easier
Changes have been made to the CPD scheme to make it easier for dental professionals to comply, particularly with the requirements for recording verifiable hours. We have reviewed the requirements in response to feedback and the evaluation of the CPD scheme, and:
- Removed the requirement for a dental professional's GDC registration number to be included on CPD certificates.
- Provided clearer guidance on applying for more time to complete CPD at the end of a cycle, otherwise known as a grace period.
- Updated guidance on CPD submission requirements for restoration.
- Amended procedures to allow digital confirmation of completion of verifiable CPD, where a certificate cannot be provided.
You will find more about these CPD scheme updates on our website.
Review of Education results
Our Review of Education sets out the results of our education and training quality assurance activities for the 2023/24 academic year, and our plans for 2024/25. We monitored 32 education programmes last year, and granted provisional approval to a new dental hygiene and therapy programme at the University of Suffolk.
Other key activities included consulting on revised Standards for Education and bringing the process for assessed applications for Specialist Lists back in-house.
Our quality assurance of undergraduate and speciality education and training ensures that all programmes meet our standards, and is a key part of our role as the regulator of the whole dental team. You will find the Review of Education on our website.
New guidance: Prevention and management of dental caries in children
New guidance for the prevention and management of dental caries in children has been published by the Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme, part of NHS Education for Scotland. The guidance is for all members of the dental team, who play a vital role in both preventing and managing caries in children, alongside parents and carers.
Find guidance and support on the dental caries in children website.
The PSA invites view on standards for regulators
The Professional Standards Authority (PSA) is seeking views on whether the standards it uses to protect the public are working well and will be fit for the future. The PSA has launched a three-month consultation on its standards for assessing the performance of organisations that register health and social care practitioners.
Alan Clamp, PSA, Chief Executive Officer, said:
“In the challenging environment that health and care practitioners are experiencing, it remains increasingly important to prioritise safety while adapting to change.
“In that context, it is essential that the standards focus our attention on the right things so that we can assess performance and drive improvement in regulation and registration of practitioners for the benefit of the public.
“All views on our standards are welcome.”
The consultation is open until 8 May 2025.
Scottish Government consultation on non-surgical cosmetic procedures
We responded to the Scottish Government consultation on proposals for the regulation and licensing of non-surgical cosmetic procedures in Scotland. To help ensure patients are protected, we have supported the proposed introduction of regulation while highlighting the need for clarity around the roles of different regulators and the responsibilities of registrants who provide supervision.
You will find our response to the proposals on our website.
Proposals to regulate NHS managers in England
The Government has been consulting on its proposals to regulate NHS managers in England. While supporting efforts to ensure that healthcare managers have the right skills for the job and that accountability mechanisms are effective, we have suggested that further regulation may not in itself result in improved patient protection.
We have also stressed the need to consider the key elements and enablers of a positive safety culture, including ensuring that staff are listened to and supported when raising safety concerns, and to prioritise learning and improvement over blame.
Find our full response to the consultation on our website.
Recent news
Dental patients to benefit from 700,000 extra urgent appointments | applies England only
Finding an NHS dentist in Wales easier with new digital portal | applies Wales only
Total number of registered UK dentists up 3% following renewal
Information and support
Information for patients: Going abroad for dental treatment
NHS treatment following self-funded care | NHS England
Dental practitioner advice and support services
Useful links