The General Dental Council (GDC) has today announced updates to its CPD processes, including changes to CPD certificate requirements.
This follows feedback from stakeholders and research findings from its 2024 review on enhancing accessibility.
The key changes include simplified documentation requirements, increasing registrant awareness of grace periods, and clearer guidance on register restoration.
With these changes, the regulator intends to make it easier for dental professionals to record and submit their CPD, and for providers equipping professionals with valid certificates, allowing registrants to meet their CPD obligations more effectively.
The GDC notes that it would like to go further to amend CPD rules, but this would require legislation changes.
Stefan Czerniawski is GDC executive director, strategy. He said: ‘We recognise that dental professionals sometimes face practical challenges in documenting their learning. By simplifying administrative requirements where we can, these changes will help people focus on what matters most – their professional development.
‘There is more to be done to improve the effectiveness of the CPD and we will continue to look for opportunities to make further changes, including encouraging the government to reduce the current legislative obstacles.’
How have CPD processes changed?
Registration numbers on CPD certificates
- Registration numbers are helpful to have but are no longer required
- Dental professionals are welcome to write their registration number on CPD evidence if they’d like to
- The GDC’s CPD guidance for both dental professionals and providers has been revised to reflect this and to make the policy around this clearer.
Signatures on certificates and CPD quality assurance
- The GDC no longer requires a signature on certificates to confirm the information provided is full and accurate
- The regulator will look for wording like ‘we confirm that the information provided on this certificate is full and accurate and that this CPD has been subject to quality assurance’
- A CPD provider can also send an email to the dental professional to confirm the information provided is full and accurate, with either a signature or printed name
- The GDC has updated the sample CPD certificate to make this clear.
Mapping documents
- Mapping documents don’t need a signature. Dental professionals can provide an email confirmation from their CPD provider instead
- The GDC has updated the mapping document template to reflect this
- If a dental professional is unable to complete a mapping document in full, they can submit alternative forms of evidence, like an email from the provider confirming that specified CPD criteria have been met.
Increasing awareness of grace periods
- Dental professionals need to complete their CPD activities before the end of each five-year cycle. If they will not be able to complete the requirements and they have good reason why they need more time, they can apply for a grace period, which can give them an additional 56 days
- Dental professionals can request a grace period via their eGDC, or via email, within the last six months of their CPD cycle
- The GDC doesn’t have any powers to allow dental professionals to complete any CPD hours outside the relevant CPD cycle unless a grace period has been agreed.
More details on the updated CPD requirements are available here.
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