GDC launches 'road map' for regulation
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- Published: Tuesday, 26 January 2016 07:40
- Written by News Editor
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The General Dental Council (GDC) has set out a three year plan to make sure patients continue to receive the best quality dental care, entitled Patients, Professionals, Partners and Performance. It gives details on how the GDC will improve its own performance and efficiency by supporting dentists and dental care professionals to provide the best possible care to patients.
The GDC says the road map is set against a landscape of ever-changing consumer behaviour where patients' needs, expectations and their experiences of dental professionals can vary and where care is increasingly delivered outside the dental practice. The regulator will work with partners, the profession and patients on a programme of reforms to make the system of dental regulation in the UK more effective.
As part of the 2016 to 2019 plan, the regulator also wants to see improvements to the current complaints system, so that where possible they are addressed locally. The road map - aligned to GDC's values of: transparency, fairness, responsiveness and respect - gives details of how it will be held to account by patients, professionals and partners for its performance.
Commenting on the strategy, William Moyes, Chair of the General Dental Council (GDC), said: "This is a pivotal moment in our history as we move ahead with an exciting programme which will contribute to the significant improvements in dental regulation. We want patients to be able to make informed choices about their care so when they visit a dentist or dental care professional, they are confident that the treatment they receive is from someone is who qualified and trained to deliver the best possible care. We also want to help the profession to continuously improve by using our standards as a guide and sharing best practice to deliver the best quality of care to every patient, in every setting, every time. We have set ourselves an ambition to put patients at the heart of what we do. We believe this is the best way to protect the public. By working with the dental team and partners, we can be assured of achieving our aim of becoming a high performing, efficient and effective regulator."
Some of the key work taking place between 2016-2019 includes:
- improving information so patients can make better decisions about their care
- getting to a point where appropriate complaints are dealt with locally or directing patients to the most appropriate body
- ensuring dental professionals are equipped with the right skills and training to practise safely
- helping dental professionals to meet the standards
- reducing the time it takes for complaints to be investigated by introducing case examiners to help streamline the process
- working with partners in the NHS and other regulators to ensure there is support for dental professionals who are experiencing stress and signpost them to places where they can receive support
- working with partners to improve dental regulation
- improving transparency so that the public, patients, professionals and partners are confident in our approach.
The road map was launched at an event on January 25. It featured a debate about regulation chaired by William Moyes involving John Milne (CQC), William Vineall (Department of Health) Kevin Lewis (Dental Protection) Christine Braithwate (PSA) and Niall Dickson (GMC). Council member and dentist Margaret Kellett will be joining the panel for the Q&A to give a perspective from someone in the dental team.
The GDC will soon consult on its plans to reform the fitness to practise process. This includes using a change in the law to introduce case examiners who will look at complaints and decide on the most appropriate action. This will streamline the handling of cases to potentially reduce the number which go to a final hearing by giving case examiners powers to make undertakings (an agreement) for less serious cases.
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