We have published our annual performance review of the General Dental Council (GDC). During 2023/24, we monitored the GDC’s performance against the Standards of Good Regulation (the Standards).
For this period, covering 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2024, the GDC has met 16 out of 18 Standards. Our report explains how we made our decision and highlights key findings and areas for improvement.
This year, in order to meet Standard 3 (our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Standard), regulators must assure us they are delivering the four high-level outcomes supported by our new evidence matrix.
We did not have sufficient assurance that the GDC was meeting three of the four outcomes and so it did not meet Standard 3 this year. There are concerns with the progress and public reporting on the GDC’s previous and current EDI strategies. There is a lack of emphasis on diversity in the GDC’s current Standards, and it does not currently require education and training providers to demonstrate that they take appropriate account of diverse student needs. There are gaps in the EDI training for Council members and others. We have commended the GDC on its work to ensure that it seeks out and acts on the views of a diverse range of stakeholders in its policy and research work. We have also outlined a number of opportunities for improvement.
The GDC met Standard 11 this year having not met it for the last two years. The median processing time for UK graduate applications has improved quarter by quarter in this review period. The GDC has been clearing the backlog of overseas-qualified dentists who applied as Dental Care Professionals (DCPs) prior to the route closing on 8 March 2023. We expect it to continue to improve its performance in processing applications.
The GDC did not meet Standard 15 again this year because it is taking too long to deal with fitness to practise cases. The GDC has put in place measures to improve its fitness to practise timeliness, but these have not yet made sufficient improvements to the time it is taking to reach decisions in cases. We have written to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and the Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee to provide an update on the GDC’s performance, and we will continue to closely monitor the GDC’s performance in this area.
The GDC met both of our Standards for education and training. It has a lot of activity planned or underway in this area and we heard a range of views from stakeholders. We will look closely at its education work as part of our periodic review next year.
The judgements we make against each Standard incorporate a range of evidence to form an overall picture of performance. Meeting a Standard means that we are satisfied that a regulator is performing well in that area. It does not mean there is no room for improvement. Similarly, finding that a regulator has met all of the Standards does not mean perfection. Rather, it signifies good performance in the 18 areas we assess.
Our oversight does not stop when we publish our report. It is an ongoing, continuous process and, where we’ve identified areas for improvement, we will pay particular attention to these as we continue to monitor the GDC’s performance.
You can find out more about the GDC’s review in our Monitoring Report. You can find out more about how we review the regulators here.
ENDS
Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care
Contact: media@professionalstandards.org.uk
Notes to the Editor
- The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care oversees 10 statutory bodies that regulate health and social care professionals in the UK.
- We assess their performance and report to the UK Parliament. We also conduct audits and investigations and can appeal fitness to practise cases to the courts if we consider that sanctions are insufficient to protect the public and it is in the public interest.
- We also set standards for organisations holding registers for health and social care occupations and accredit those that meet them and continue to meet them.
- We share good practice and knowledge, conduct research and introduce new ideas to our sector. We monitor policy developments in the UK and internationally and provide advice on issues relating to professional standards in health and social care.
- We do this to promote the health, safety and wellbeing of users of health and social care services and the public. We are an independent body, accountable to the UK Parliament.
- Our values are – integrity, transparency, respect, fairness and teamwork – and we strive to ensure that they are at the core of our work.
- More information about our work and the approach we take is available at www.professionalstandards.org.uk