Figures released by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) show that GDPs worked on average 37-38 hours a week, with some variation across the UK. Principal dentists work longer than associates in all three countries, but the ratio of NHS to private work varied in England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland
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Neil Marshall, the Director of Regulation will be leaving the GDC on 28 November, having accepted redundancy. Changes to the top management team mean the creation two separate directorates; one to cover Registration and Operational Excellence, the other to include Fitness to Practise and Illegal Practice, each led by a director who will be members of the Executive Management Team.
At its' 18th September meeting, the General Dental Council (GDC) had on its agenda a paper on the results of the recent ARF consultation. It was listed to be 'considered'. However before any discussion could take place the chairman, William Moyes, said that any discussion should be deferred until the October meeting when the decision on the ARF will be made. None of the members, either dental or lay, raised any objections to this course of action.
The British Dental Association (BDA) has responded to publication of responses to the General Dental Council’s (GDC) consultation on proposed increases to the annual retention fee (ARF). The data shows that 97% of respondents have rejected the GDC’s proposed 64% fee rise. An overwhelming majority have also questioned the regulator’s justification for any fee rise, and the measures it has taken to cut costs.
Read more: Your verdict on the GDC: Unfit, unfair and unresponsive
A substantial increase in the number of dentists in Scotland since the Scottish National Party took office has helped to secure dramatic increases in the proportion of people in Scotland registered with an NHS dentist. Commenting, SNP MSP Bob Doris said: “Since the SNP took office, we have made recruiting and retaining NHS dentists a priority, so that dentist registrations have increased substantially.” The Scottish independence referendum takes place on September 18.
An investigation by the Manchester Evening News has revealed that only one in three Manchester dental practices is taking on new child patients. The newspaper revealed its findings a month after statistics from the NHS were published, showing that children in Manchester have some of the poorest standards of oral health in the country.
Read more: Only one in three practices in Manchester accepting new child patients
The General Dental Council (GDC) has strongly rejected a recent claim by Dental Protection in a press statement, that the GDC has unnecessarily progressed many of the complaints it receives through its Fitness to Practise (FtP) processes. The GDC also rejected Dental Protection's claim that they saw no potential for improving their FtP system.
A group of Local Dental Committees (LDCs) is calling for a debate on two separate issues including new ideas on reform of the GDP contract. Their proposals for reform have been worked up into a solid proposal, which they believe could accelerate the movement for change. They are also calling for a Special Conference, in relation to the GDC and the regulation of the profession, which must be arranged if 20 or more LDCs call for it.
The General Dental Council’s (GDC) consultation on the Annual Retention Fee (ARF) will be discussed at its meeting on September 18, but no decision on the level will be taken then. It has commissioned KPMG to review the assumptions underlying the proposal to raise the ARF by 64%. The decision on the level of ARF will be taken on October 30, after the KPMG report and the full appraisal of the consultation have been received.