GDC audited by PSA
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- Published: Friday, 03 January 2014 10:06
- Written by News Editor
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An audit by the Professional Standards Authority has found that the decisions made by the General Dental Council (GDC) at the initial stages of its Fitness to Practise (FTP) process afford protection to the public. However the report also highlights key areas for further improvement. These relate to record-keeping, timeliness and customer service.
Overall, the PSA found that the decisions made by the GDC at the initial stages of its FTP process protect the public and maintain confidence in the profession. However, the areas of concern highlighted in their last audit remain and this in itself has the potential to undermine confidence in the system of regulation operated by the GDC. They also ‘regrettably’ noted a number of cases where they felt that there were specific issues which risked the maintenance of confidence in the GDC’s system of regulation.
They are of the view that their findings in relation to record keeping, risk assessment, information governance and public confidence in the system of regulation indicate inadequacies with the system of quality assurance and management oversight in place at the GDC, which may further undermine confidence in the regulator. They consider that many of the issues identified in this report could be addressed by improved record-keeping, including the enhanced recording of reasons for decision-making. ‘This would enable better understanding of the reasons for the decisions made at the initial stages of its fitness to practise process,’ they say.
They hope that the GDC will continue to build upon the good practice they identified and seek to address the areas of concern highlighted in this audit. They recognise that the GDC has identified through its internal audits many of the they found during this year’s audit, and they encourage and support the further programme of improvement work that the GDC has informed us is underway. They recommend that the GDC considers the findings of this audit when drafting decision-making guidance for the voluntary removal process. They were also pleased to note that the GDC asks all registrants subject to an FTP investigation to provide details of their indemnity insurance, even where this is not relevant to the issues raised in the complaint/referral. However, several of the cases that they audited raised concerns about the GDC’s decision-making once information about insurance cover has been obtained (or not obtained).
GDC Chief Executive Evlynne Gilvarry said: "The GDC is very aware of the continued need for further improvement in the areas identified by the PSA. We are drawing up a clear plan of action in response to the concerns raised during the audit. We welcome the recognition of the improvements made to the FTP process and we will build on these, with the expectation of seeing much more significant benefits in 2014."
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