Latest updates from the GDC
A view from the Chair: highlights from Council’s public meeting, annual renewal has opened for dental care professionals, and the public consultation on our proposed corporate strategy continues.
GDC Chair, Lord Toby Harris, shares details from the first live-streamed meeting of Council held on Friday last week, including the decision to approve the improved Scope of Practice Guidance, which will be shared in September and come into effect in October 2025.
Initial inquiries extended to include conduct concerns
We have extended our initial inquiries process to include concerns that involve isolated cases of perceived unprofessional behaviour, as part of ongoing efforts to improve timeliness and proportionality in fitness to practise investigations.
Concerns raised by a single patient about low-level misconduct that include a low-level clinical practice issue will also be in scope. Some cases will be excluded, and proceed to a full investigation in the normal way, these are:
- Cases indicating a potential pattern of such behaviour.
- Cases involving a registrant who has had allegations raised about their fitness to practise within the previous 12 months.
- Cases involving more serious misconduct, such as alleged verbal abuse or severe aggression.
Theresa Thorp, Executive Director, Regulation, said:
"This new approach seeks to maintain public confidence in the professions while reducing the negative impact that lengthy investigations can have on the health and wellbeing of participants.”
The streamlined approach removes indemnity checks and limits processes used to determine if there are wider concerns to be investigated. The initial inquiries process is being used when less serious issues are raised, and where seriousness can be determined by making initial inquiries with those involved.
More on the initial inquires criteria and process.
Support for targeted remediation in fitness to practise
New research has found broad support for targeted remediation as part of the fitness to practise process, and a common view that it could support improvements in patient safety and the quality of care. Opinions varied on whether remediation would be an acceptable case outcome to all involved.
Stefan Czerniawski. Executive Director, Strategy, said:
"We know that fitness to practise investigations can be long, drawn out and feel overly complex in relation to the issues raised, often leading to feelings of mistrust in and fear of the process among registrants. We need to think differently if we want that to change.
“We’re using these research findings to inform our thinking on whether early evidence of remediation can play a greater role in the fitness to practise process and lead to more proportionate outcomes in some cases.”
The research explores remediation as an approach to addressing potential fitness to practise issues earlier in the process to support learning and development and reduce the negative impacts of lengthy investigations.
Find the full report and key findings on our website.
What’s different in our proposed corporate strategy?
Our proposed corporate strategy for the next three years is now out for consultation. We’re looking for your feedback on proposals to improve the way we regulate, modernise the services we provide, and collaborate with others to create change.
Our public protection roles has not changed, and we will continue to uphold high professional standards. Our plans look to progress our current approach to supporting professionalism and fostering learning, while thinking differently about how we might promote patient safety and maintain public confidence.
So, what’s different in our proposals for the next three years:
- We have a new vision; good oral health for all.
- We have plans to invest in modernising our registrant and renewal services to make them easier to access and easier to use.
- We plan to explore the different ways we could use fitness to practise to manage risk more effectively within our current legislation, while also ensuring that we regulate with more empathy and increase the potential for learning.
- We also want to use our position to help address issues that are affecting the public and patients. There is strength in numbers, so while being respectful of our different roles, we want to work with others to influence change.
Please review and respond to the consultation on our next corporate strategy by midnight on 21 August 2025.