www.gdc-uk.org
GENERAL
DENTAL COUNCIL
www.gdc-uk.org
Croeso i Gaerdydd
Welcome to Cardiff
21 May 2010
www.gdc-uk.org
The Distinctive Nature of
Professionalism in Dentistry
Mary Dodd,
GDC Registrant Member.
www.gdc-uk.org
Aim
To describe what the GDC expects of a registrant in order to
ensure its professional requirements are met.
Objective
To ensure registrants fully understand the obligations they
must meet in order to stay on the GDC’s register.
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What is a professional?
Dictionary definition:
“The status of those who are highly trained and
disciplined – that have the competence and correct
demeanour to be members of a professional group.”
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You and the GDC
There are 3 elements to a dental professional’s
relationship with the GDC.
•Entry on to a GDC register.
•Staying on a GDC register.
•Leaving a GDC register (voluntary or involuntary).
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Who’s on our Registers?
www.gdc-uk.org
Entry on to our Registers
Quality Assurance
The standards we expect dental professionals to have reached
at the end of their education and training for registration are set
out in two documents:
• Developing the Dental Team (interim for DCPs)
• The First Five Years (interim for dentists)
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Staying on our Registers
•Annual Retention Fee.
•Scope of Practice.
•Standards for dental professionals.
•Continuing Professional Development.
•Indemnity.
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Annual Retention Fee
•All registrants must pay their ARF to remain
registered and eligible for work.
•The deadline for all DCPs to pay
their ARF is 31 July each year.
•All DCPs will receive a reminder letter
about this year’s fee by 24 May.
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Scope of Practice
• This guidance sets out the skills and abilities
each registrant group should have.
• It also outlines the type of additional skills they might acquire
during their career.
• Each registrant should use their professional judgment to
decide if you are sufficiently trained and competent to do
something. You should always bear in mind that you may have
to justify your actions.
www.gdc-uk.org
Standards for Dental
Professionals
There are six key principles in this booklet:
• Put patients’ interests first and act to protect
them.
• Respect patients’ dignity and choices.
• Protect the confidentiality of patients’ information.
• Co-operate with other members of the dental team and other
healthcare colleagues in the interests of patients.
• Maintain your professional knowledge and competence.
• Be trustworthy.
www.gdc-uk.org
Continuing Professional
Development for DCPs
• 150 hours over 5 years
• Core recommended subjects
(Medical emergencies, disinfection and decontamination and
radiography and radiation protection*)
• 50 hours must be verifiable
*Dental technicians can substitute radiography and radiation with materials and
equipment.
www.gdc-uk.org
Indemnity
All GDC registrants must ensure there are arrangements in place so
that patients can claim any compensation to which they may be
entitled.
The only appropriate arrangements recognised by the GDC are:
•
Membership of a defence organisation.
(Dental Protection Limited, the Dental Defence Union or the Medical and
Dental Defence Union of Scotland (whether your own membership or that of
your employer)
•
Professional indemnity arranged by you or your employer.
•
NHS/Crown indemnity.
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Being removed from our Registers
There are various ways in which you can be
removed from the Registers, which include:
•
•
•
•
Not paying your ARF on time.
Not completing your CPD by the end of the 5 year
cycle.
Asking to have your name voluntarily removed.
Erasure from the Register by one of the Practice
Committees.
www.gdc-uk.org
Cases assessed by FtP
2007
800
703
700
2009
600
500
1400
400
300
1208
1200
200
100
23
13
0
DCPs
Dentists
Anonymous
1000
800
2008
900
600
851
400
800
700
200
600
162
94
500
0
400
300
DCPs
200
100
79
73
0
DCPs
Dentists
Anonymous
Dentists
Anonymous
www.gdc-uk.org
2009 FtP, IC and Practice
Committee totals
1600
1444
1400
1200
1000
821
800
600
400
178
200
0
Fitness to Practise
Investigating Committee
Practice Committees
www.gdc-uk.org
Making headlines
•
“I’m a dental nurse and I hate
patients…”
(GDC issues warning over use of Facebook)
•
‘Child porn’ dental technician erased.
(GDC erases convicted sex offender)
•
Dental nurse lies about convictions for theft.
(GDC’s Professional Conduct Committee removes her from register)
www.gdc-uk.org
Things to look out for
•
•
eGDC
Revalidation
www.gdc-uk.org
eGDC
•
•
•
•
•
Contact Details.
Direct Debits.
Renewal Payments.
CPD.
Annual Practising Certificate.
www.gdc-uk.net/eGDC/
www.gdc-uk.org
Revalidation
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Contact us
•
www.gdc-uk.org
(There is a Welsh link on our website)
Or
•
Call our Customer Advice and Information Team
on 0845 222 4141, Monday to Friday 9am-5pm.