Your Regulator Needs Your Input!
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- Published: Friday, 15 August 2025 09:29
- Written by Peter Ingle
- Hits: 796
Right now the GDC is asking more from you than just your annual registration fee. There is a rare opportunity for registrants to be heard, but there is a rapidly approaching deadline.
The GDC are running a consultation on their Corporate Strategy for 2026-2028. This closes on August 21st 2025, so time is running out. With the aspirational subtitle, ‘Trusted and effective,’ GDC Chair Lord Harris, sets out its scope in his forward.
Lord Harris recognises that much has changed in dentistry in recent years and says that, “we now have a greater understanding of the impact of regulation on dental professionals’ health and wellbeing and patient care.”
In Lord Harris’ opinion the GDC has, “made considerable progress towards regulation which focuses on supporting professionalism, enabling learning and resolving issues quickly and proportionately, but there is more to do.” He then confirms the GDCs mission creep adding, “Our vision is good oral health for all.” The GDC also wants to “be recognised as being respectful, transparent, inclusive and purposeful.”
His career background in trying to bring some order to the one of the more chaotic corners of local government, should stand the GDC in good stead with its financial planning which he and the strategy devote considerable attention to. Registrants can draw some reassurance that the strategy proposes that registration fees will rise slightly above those of 2020 and then, if necessary, increase at most in line with the Consumer Price Index.
By GDC standards it is not a long document, however for the time-poor the section “where do we want to be by 2030?” is in many ways most telling. Below are some of the bullet points, and in the spirit of consultation GDPUK offers some metrics that the GDC could consider in deciding it they have arrived at the promised destination.
- living by our values – and be seen to be doing so
Transparency is one value mentioned by the GDC that presently they struggle with. Keith Hayes has been fighting what looks like a case of concealment by the GDC relating to Fitness to Practice hearings, and the Council’s responses to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests have often been somewhat opaque –at best.
- trusted by the public, dental profession, and our partners, to do the right thing with fewer dental professionals fearing us.
That the GDC recognise that they are indeed feared and that this impinges on the care that the public receive is a huge shift and perhaps Lord Harris’ biggest legacy. But there is little evidence so far that the GDC understand why this situation has developed.
- fully effective in delivering our four key regulatory functions.
This is an admission that at present the GDC is failing with its very basic core roles. Something that victims of the Smile Direct Club collapse, or those unable to see a dentist due to the long term issues with ORE capacity, would confirm.
- maintaining the integrity of the dental register by regulating in a timely and proportionate way
This would involve dealing with FTP cases in a timely way – something the GDC has consistently failed to do, even in the eyes of its own regulator. A PAS ‘tick’ here would be a clear sign of achievement, and one that the GDC has so far failed to gain.
- taking full advantage of modern digital tools and channels
The GDC’s frequent “information not held” response to FOI’s confirms that there is a long way to go here.
- a collaborative partner, valued by people and organisations across the sector
Here at GDPUK we will believe that has happened when they don’t tell their communications and engagement team not to talk to us.
Whether by accident or design, the GDC have avoided listening those in general dental practice, and have spent the last few years constructing an echo chamber of carefully curated meetings and visits, including the independent sounding, but captive, Dental Leadership Network.
This consultation offers a rare opportunity for wet gloved GDP teams to be heard. With the consultation closing soon it would be a shame if the GDC were not exposed to this often forgotten group of stakeholders.
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The GDC Consultation page can be found here:
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