Since the Health and Social Care Bill was introduced in 2008 the powers of the CQC have been widened from those over only the large providers of healthcare, with additional regulations that came into force from April 2010 allowing inclusion of dental practices. It appeared to have some logic in regulating providers of service, with the GDC regulating individuals, but many of the outcomes listed as CQC requirements clearly overlap and duplicate those of the GDC.

The Consultation on CQC registration fees will no doubt be a whitewash exercise. The CQC must know by now what operating budget they will need for dentistry, and it’s only the number of registrants that fee is to be collected from, which will lead to the calculation of fees levied on each individual. The enhancing of the role of the CQC may allow this fee to grow exponentially, and who will challenge that?

Clearly when legislation occurs, it is imperative for the profession via the GDPC to challenge laws that run contrary to what we as professionals feel appropriate for dental practice and our patients. This is rarely easy when consultations by Government often run to telephone directory size of papers for scrutiny, and these follow in quick succession one upon another.

It is exactly this reason why everything currently out for consultation with the NHS White Paper on “Liberating the NHS” must be fine tooth-combed by the GDPC and BDA Secretariat to try to prevent such future legislation causing such angst as we currently have with the CQC.