The new government’s rescue agenda for dentistry must include GDC reform says John Makin, head of the Dental Defence Union (DDU).
A fresh start is always welcome provided it brings new energy and a sense of purpose. I was pleased that the health and social care secretary, Wes Streeting, met with dental leaders in his first week in the job as part of his commitment to ‘rescue and reform’ the dental service.
After more than 18 years of diminishing returns, renegotiating the NHS contract is rightly a priority. However, there’s another pressing long-term issue where a solution is already at hand. Despite proposals for regulatory reform which date back to 2021, legislators still need to address the GDC’s cumbersome and stressful fitness to practise (FTP) process.
While only a fraction of dental professionals are subject to a GDC complaint, I can certainly attest to the fear and anxiety felt by many in our community. The subject comes up repeatedly when I meet colleagues at events and lectures. A DDU survey found that GDC reform was second only to tackling waiting times in terms of members’ dental policy priorities after the general election.
‘Time consuming and demoralising’
The GDC has introduced measures over the years to conclude cases at an earlier stage and reduce their impact, most recently its initial inquiries pilot which is being extended until October.
In June, the GDC reported that 12% of cases assessed through the pilot (involving complaints about clinical practice by a single patient) were progressed to case examiners. This compares with 85% of cases overall which are typically referred for assessment. It also said that: ‘Efforts across the sector to improve complaint handling and reduce the impact of investigations are having an effect and we are moving in the right direction.’
This is welcome progress, but our experience is the FTP process remains time consuming and demoralising for dental professionals. The DDU is currently looking at delays of more than six months at the case examiners stage. Members are waiting up to six weeks for a decision that they had been told to expect within 28 days.
The GDC’s own statistics for 2023 show that only 55% of investigation stage cases were completed within six months in 2023. The average time for a hearing to start before the practice committee following referral by case examiners was 10 months and one day, when the target is nine months.
‘The new government must make good on its pledge to rescue and reform dentistry’
Dental professionals are expected to respond promptly to GDC requests for information, but this goes both ways. If dental professionals are expected to make every effort to comply with timescales, they have a right to expect the same courtesy from their regulator.
The GDC acknowledges that it has ‘more to do to improve timeliness and the support provided to individuals’. It says: ‘Our legislation has been constraining.’
Dental professionals need the morale boost that will come from knowing the regulatory system is fair, speedy and appropriate. The new government must make good on its pledge to rescue and reform dentistry, including dental regulation.
Follow Dentistry.co.uk on Instagram to keep up with all the latest dental news and trends.
