Nothing To See Here. Minister and GDC’s Double Act
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- Published: Tuesday, 21 February 2023 07:42
- Written by Peter Ingle
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The GDC and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), have a good deal in common, and enjoy similar levels of affection from the dental profession. Recent exchanges between Lib Dem MP, Daisy Cooper who is the party’s health spokesperson, and government minister Neil O’Brien demonstrated the symbiosis between the DHSC, and the GDC.
Daisy Cooper had five questions, the first two being, “Whether his Department is taking steps to help ensure that overseas dentists are able to (a) register as dental care professionals and (b) sit the overseas registration examination,” and the second being whether his department was taking steps to tackle these delays.
Thirdly, she asked, “What his planned timetable is for implementing his policy on not registering overseas dentists as dental care professionals until they have passed the overseas registration examination.” This will be familiar to GDPUK readers as the loophole through which dentists failing the ORE practical exam could still register as therapists. Alarmingly, concerns about this were repeatedly dismissed by the GDC, until the matter was publicised.
The fourth question asked what the average waiting time was for overseas dentists to sit the overseas registration exam (ORE) and whether the minister was taking steps with the GDC, to reduce the waiting times.
The minister responded to these four questions in a single written answer. Neatly passing the buck he claimed that the department did not hold current data on waiting times for the ORE, it was held by the GDC. The department had worked with the GDC to develop and consult on legislative changes that would provide the regulator with greater flexibility and open the door to “alternative registration pathways.” He hoped this might be introduced in February 2023.
It was “for the GDC, as an independent regulator” to decide how best to use the flexibility the changes would offer. Neil O’Brien did claim that the changes would not mean that international dentist qualifications could be used to join the DCP register on their own. However the GDC would still be able to process applications from dentists to join the DCP register until the new Order came into force.
There was one more question from the Lib Dem health spokesperson, “To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Professional Standards Authority Periodic review, GDC -2021/2022, what discussions his Department has had with the General Dental Council to help ensure the Council meets all 18 standards in that review.” GDPUK readers may recall that the GDC had recently failed on two standards, after reaching all all-time best of failing on only one, in its previous assessment by the PSA.
Neil O’Brien’s reply will not have worried the repeat offenders at 37 Wimpole Street. Reassuringly the department was “aware of the findings,” and noted that the GDC was “putting measures in place” to ensure it meets all of the standards. Indeed, the department “welcomes the action that the GDC is taking.” Presumably it has been stoically welcoming the GDC’s efforts to meet the standards ever since the establishment of the PSA, since the GDC has never managed to meet all of them. He did add that, “The department is reforming the regulatory frameworks of the healthcare profession regulators to enable them to respond to changes in the health and care workforce” He concluded, “officials are working with the regulators on legislative changes to allow greater flexibility to modernise fitness to practice processes and improve efficiency.”
Both the GDC and DHSC have to a large extent lost the confidence of the profession. Both seem unable to provide straight answers to important questions. Whether it is asking the GDC about registrants taking their life during FTP, or asking the Prime Minister how many dentists are working in the NHS, there is a lack of transparency at best, and honesty at worst. As has already been observed it is proving difficult to provide NHS dentistry without dentists. It will be difficult to attract them back without trust.
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