winter 2007-2008 gdc gazette a priority. having successfully held the council meeting in edinburgh...

DCP REGISTRATION NO TIME TO DELAYPAGES 12-15

winter 2007-2008

GDC gazetteT H E N E W S L E T T E R F R O M T H E G E N E R A L D E N T A L C O U N C I L

CPD UPDATELATEST DEVELOPMENTSPAGES 10-11

winter 2007-2008 page 2

GDC gazettewww.gdc-uk.org

Few of us are offered the opportunity toextend our lives as we wish, but that wasthe privilege of your Council at its meetingin Cardiff in September – subject, that is,to Privy Council approval.

Knowing that new legislation waspending, members voted to seekpermission to extend their terms of officeuntil the draft Section 60 Order –amending the Dentists Act 1984 – ispublished, hopefully in 2008. This willapprove proposals for a new-look, smaller,fully appointed Council with an increasedlay membership.

These proposals, you may remember,follow publication of the Government’sWhite Paper Trust, assurance and safety:the regulation of health professionals, andthey promise the GDC a strengthened rolein protecting patients and regulating thedental team.

We have now completed our first audit ofdentists’ continuing professionaldevelopment (CPD). As expected, all ofthe dentists who submitted their CPDrecords for audit had completed the 75hours of verifiable CPD they need to doas a minimum. The vast majority in factprovided evidence exceeding this amount.The audit also revealed some examples ofexcellent practice. You can read moreabout this on page 10.

Doing CPD means that dentalprofessionals are keeping their skills andknowledge updated. On 1 August 2008,we introduce compulsory CPDrequirements to all dental careprofessionals too. Patients can nowexpect the whole dental team to maintaintheir knowledge and skills in relevantareas. So, if you are a dental careprofessional, why not think about startingto record your CPD now so that you arein the habit by next summer? More

information to get you started is on page 11.

Another important issue affecting allmembers of the dental team is theregistration of dental nurses and dentaltechnicians. After 30 July 2008, dentalnurses and technicians who continue towork without being registered will facecriminal charges. The consequences arejust as serious for dentists too – if youemploy an unregistered dental nurse orcommission work from an unregistereddental technician after the deadline, youwill face fitness to practise proceedingsand possible erasure from the register. Soplease, if you are a dental nurse ortechnician, register now. For all dentistsreading this, please encourage yourcolleagues to register as soon as possible.Further information on registration isavailable on pages 4 and 12–15.

Finally, our meeting in Cardiff inSeptember again highlighted for me how,although we are routinely (and perhapsglibly) described as the UK dentalregulator, we operate within four separatepolitical administrations. Each has differentdental healthcare systems, and perhapsdifferent needs and expectations when itcomes to how dental professionals areregulated. Sensitively taking these needsand expectations into account is crucial ifwe are to continue as an effective andefficient pan-UK regulator, and this isbecoming a priority. Having successfullyheld the Council meeting in Edinburgh inSeptember 2006, and with our Cardiffmeeting this year, we now look forward tovisiting Belfast in September 2008.

Wishing you all a happy end to the year.

Hew MathewsonPresident of the GDC

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Hew Mathewson, GDC President

GDC at DentalShowcase

pages 12-15DCP registration

Welcome to another packed edition of the Gazette, the last one of2007 and my first as Editor. A lot has happened over the past fewmonths, and I hope you find this issue a useful and informativeupdate on the latest GDC developments.

This edition also looks ahead to 2008 and the changes that willaffect all dental professionals. With just over seven months to gountil compulsory registration for dental nurses and dentaltechnicians, we are urging all those who have not already done soto register now. Likewise, we are asking dentists to encouragecolleagues and staff to register before the legal cut-off date in July2008. You can do this by displaying the tear-off leaflet on the frontof the Gazette to remind colleagues of the registration deadline, orsending unregistered dental nurses and dental technicians one ofthe postcards on the back.

We had a fantastic response to our Registration Surgery for dentalcare professionals (DCPs) at this year’s BDTA Dental Showcase.GDC staff members were on hand to check completedregistration application forms and offer advice. Further informationon future events we will be attending with a registration adviceservice is available on the back cover.

Please pass your copy of the Gazette on to colleagues who maynot have their own, particularly any unregistered DCPs. If you’dlike us to add somebody to our mailing list, so they receive theirown regular copy, please let me know – all DCPs will receive theirown copy automatically once registered.

I would also like to encourage readers’ views on the content,design and format of the Gazette. As the new Editor, I am keen tohear from you and would welcome your questions for the nextissue. Please get in touch with your suggestions and comments –you can email me at [email protected] or call me on 020 70092746.

Jodie Ward, Editor

FROM THE

EDITOR

page 8

pages 10-11 CPD news

page 5 ARF payment goes online

CONTENTSIs your team registered yet? 4

ARF payment goes online 5

Tooth whitening 6

New appointments 7

Dental Complaints Service Update 8

Your questions answered 9

CPD news 10-11

Dental care professionals

Registration: don’t riskillegal practice 12

Simplified health checks 12

Registration: know the facts 13

Qualification or experience? 13

Registration options foroverseas DCPs 14

Your questions answered 14

Are you soon to be qualified? 15

GDC at Dental Showcase 16

Providing treatment plans 16

Latest developments in dentaleducation 17

Illegal practice 18

Conduct cases reviewed 19-23

Diary of events 24

www.gdc-uk.org page 3 winter 2007-2008

GDC gazette



WARNING ALL DENTISTS:IS YOUR TEAM REGISTERED YET?With just over seven months to go beforethe legal cut-off date, we are urgingdentists to make sure the dental nursesand dental technicians they work with areregistered in time.

After 30 July 2008, dental nurses anddental technicians will face criminalcharges if they use those titles withoutGDC registration.

But there are serious consequences forregistrants too - if you employunregistered dental nurses or dentaltechnicians after 30 July 2008, you mayface fitness to practise proceedings andpossible erasure from the register.

The application fee will go up to £96 from1 January 2008. Dental nurses and dentaltechnicians who get their applications tous before the end of this year will be ableto take advantage of the current fee of£72. (Remember, once registered, there’snothing more to pay until the first annualretention fee is due, in July 2009.)

There’s more information about registration on pages 12 to 15. Pleasepass this on to any dental nurses youwork with to make sure they’re aware of

the legal requirement to register. And whynot write to the dental technicians youcommission work from to ask if they’veregistered yet, and to encourage them to doso now if they haven’t already? You’ll findtwo postcards on the back of the Gazette to send to dental nurses or technicians toremind them of the registration deadline.Or, visit our website for a template letterwhich you can download and tailor to fityour needs.

For more information and/orapplication forms, please visit ourwebsite or contact our RegistrationTeam on 0845 222 4141 [email protected].

✁Please cut out and give to your nurses and/or technicians

Getting it right first timeWould you be surprised to know that about40 per cent of GDC registration applicationforms from dental nurses and dentaltechnicians are either missing information ornot completed correctly? This can mean adelay to getting registered.

When completing your application, pleaseremember to provide proof of your:

■ Identity;

■ Qualification (if applicable); and

■ Change of name (if different to that onyour qualification certificate).

And don’t forget to complete the healthdeclaration.

Submit your application before Christmasand take advantage of the lower 2007 fee(£72), which covers you until July 2009.

If you need advice on registration,please call 0845 222 4141 or [email protected].

DCPregistration

winter 2007-2008


*DCPs include: dental hygienists, dental therapists, dental technicians, clinical dental technicians, dental nursesand orthodontic therapists.

**Dental nurses and dental technicians who are already registered with the GDC do not need to pay an annualretention fee until July 2009, which will be the end of the first year of compulsory registration for these two groups.

***Dental nurses and dental technicians who register for the first time between 1 January 2008 and 30 July2008 (the registration deadline) will pay the £96 registration fee which will cover them up to July 2009, whentheir first annual retention fee is due.

NEWS AT YOURFINGERTIPSWhy wait for the next issue of the

Gazette to hear the latest GDC

news? Sign up to receive GDC

news alerts and we will send an

email straight to your inbox to let

you know when we’ve added new

information to our website on your

chosen topics. You can choose

from a range of options, including

press releases, monthly

newsletters and details of fitness

to practise hearings.

To sign up, please visit our website

today – www.gdc-uk.org – and

join the many users already

receiving regular email updates

from the GDC.

CONGRATULATIONSTO OURPRESIDENT! The GDC would like to congratulate

our President, Hew Mathewson, on

his invitation to become an

Honorary Fellow in Dental Surgery.

The Board of the Faculty of Dental

Surgery of the Royal College of

Surgeons were unanimous in their

decision to honour Hew in

recognition of his outstanding

personal contributions over

many years.

The distinction was formally

presented at the Diplomates

Ceremony at the Royal College of

Surgeons, London, on Friday 9

November.

newsin brief

There are now only a few weeks left beforethe annual retention fee (ARF) is due on 31 December 2007. To make paying theARF as quick and convient as possible, wehave introduced online credit and debit cardpayments. To pay online log onto ourwebsite www.gdc-uk.org and click on the‘ARF online’ button.

You can also pay by cheque, banker’s draftand United Kingdom postal order if you prefer.These must be made payable to the ‘GeneralDental Council’. Please remember to write yourname and registration number on the reverseof your cheque, postal order or bank draft.

A Direct Debit can be set up to pay the ARFfor 2009 onwards by completing a DirectDebit mandate form. This can bedownloaded from our website.

This year we have introduced an ARF for theSpecialist Lists. This is to cover the costs ofmaintaining the Lists and providing both atelephone and email enquiry service for the

many people looking for dental specialists.There is also now an application fee fordentists joining these Lists.

The ARF for dentists is £438 - an increase of£18 or 4.3 per cent, in line with inflation. Fordental care professionals (dental hygienists,dental therapists and clinical dentaltechnicians only at the moment) the ARF is£96 - an increase of £24 or 33 per cent.

The GDC is funded by an annual levy on ourregistrants. These fee increases will helpensure we are adequately resourced to notonly carry out our existing functions,including registering many thousands ofdental nurses and dental technicians, butalso to progress new initiatives aimed atstrengthening patient protection.

If you have any queries about the ARF,please visit our website, www.gdc-uk.org, or contact our IncomeCollection Team on 020 7009 2720 [email protected].

ARFPAYMENTGOESONLINE

Dentists DCPs*

Retention £438 £96**

Temporary registration £438 n/a

First registration £37 per month from the £8*** per month fromfirst month of entry the first month of entry

Restoration £110 £24

Specialist first registration £250 n/a

Specialist retention £52 n/a

Fees 2008



tooth whitening

TOOTH WHITENING – AN UPDATEThe GDC believes that the practice oftooth whitening by non-dentalprofessionals is illegal. We are committedto protecting the public by investigatingand prosecuting people who are notregistered with the GDC and whoperform, or provide clinical advice abouttooth whitening.

Each week we receive an average of tenreports about unregistered people offeringtooth whitening procedures, and each ofthese is investigated. Complaints frommembers of the public who have beenadversely affected by tooth whitening aregiven the highest priority, and we gatherwitness evidence with a view to putting acase forward for prosecution.

Raising awarenessIt is also vital to raise awareness of theissue with the public and those in thebeauty industry and to promote the GDCposition on tooth whitening whereverpossible. As part of this work, the GDC’sHead of Fitness to Practise LegalServices, Ros Bedward, has beenspeaking at conferences run by theChartered Institute for EnvironmentalHealth Officers on managing health andsafety in the beauty industry. These wereaimed primarily at Health and SafetyOfficers who inspect beautyestablishments for compliance with healthand safety legislation. This was an area ofgreat concern to Health and SafetyOfficers in terms of the risks posed tomembers of the public. As a result, we have amended our procedures toroutinely notify the local Health and Safety

department of any tooth whiteningcomplaints received. We already notify thelocal Trading Standards department aspart of our standard response to toothwhitening complaints.

These conferences were also attended byrepresentatives of organisations workingvery closely with the beauty industry, whoare helping to spread the Council’smessage on tooth whitening to their ownmembers and other therapists with whomthey have regular contact. This includedthe Health and Beauty IndustryAssociation (HABIA), which advises theindustry on standards and health andsafety. They have now adopted andpublished our position on tooth whitening.

The British Association of BeautyTherapists and Cosmetologists (BABTAC)spoke of around 80 civil cases involvingtheir members being sued for damages bypatients who had been adversely affectedby tooth whitening. One such case,involving the permanent deterioration in apatient’s asthma due to bleaching,resulted in an award to the patient of£16,000 damages for which the toothwhitening company was held responsible.The tooth whitening supplier subsequentlywent into liquidation.

The GDC speaks outWe have also been working hard tosecure coverage in the media on toothwhitening to raise public awareness. InSeptember, we worked closely withWhich? magazine on an article on toothwhitening (available on our website). Theinvestigation discovered that beautysalons are cashing in on the trend forHollywood-white teeth, and allowingunqualified staff to carry out treatmentsthat could result in permanent damage ifdone incorrectly.

Our President, Hew Mathewson, hassince given a number of interviews, bothprint and broadcast, reinforcing the GDC’s view that unregistered peopleshould not be offering the treatment.These have included sections on BBCNews 24 and the Radio 4 programme‘You and Yours’.

We will be looking for further opportunitiesin the future to work with partner agenciesin publicising our message on toothwhitening. Any work undertaken incollaboration with, and directed at, thebeauty industry, is likely to have maximumbenefit in terms of public awareness and,ultimately, public protection.

If anyone has any information thatsuggests an unregistered person maybe undertaking tooth whitening, theyshould report this matter to us. Callus on 020 7009 2773 or [email protected].

“We are committed toprotecting the public byinvestigating and prosecutingpeople who are not registeredwith the GDC and who perform,or provide clinical advice abouttooth whitening.”

winter 2007-2008


The GDC has appointed 30 more dentalprofessionals to its independent Fitness toPractise Panel. Members of the panel areresponsible for hearing cases where aregistered dental professional may not be fitto work because of poor conduct, health orprofessional performance.

The new appointments will help meet theincreasing demand on the panel which nowrules on a broader range of hearings,including those about dental professionals’performance and appeals against rejectedregistration applications.

The panel includes lay people as well asdental professionals and now has 78members in total: 40 dentists, 22 lay peopleand 16 dental care professionals.

GDC President Hew Mathewson said, “Weare delighted to announce the appointmentof 30 new Fitness to Practise Panelmembers. The new panellists will play animportant role in safeguarding the publicand upholding standards within the dentalprofessions.”

The new panel members are:DentistsAyée Marie McGrathHelen ParkinsonChristopher HoyleNicholas YoungAnita NolanSuzanne NobleSally-Anne AtkinsonRobert TobinHarneet MangatJohn MakinCatherine BradyJonathan BaberAnthony MarkhamJosephine HassanAnthony MellorPhilip JohnstoneRoland KitchenDenise ForshawSatnam Singh MoongaJane Fenwick

Dental hygienistsPippa StewartPatricia MacphersonJanet Reid

Dental nursesMargaret SaundersonCarol Denning-Kemp

Dental techniciansAnthony GriffinDavid KimeMaja Jackson

Dental therapistsRuth LoveringLynne Stuart

The vacancies were advertised in the dentalmedia and applications were sought fromall GDC registrant groups. The newpanellists were selected through aninterview process and have successfullycompleted a training course to enable themto start hearing cases.

Further information on the new panelmembers is available on our website.

NEW APPOINTMENTS TO FITNESS TO PRACTISE PANEL

Professor Elizabeth Davenport has beenappointed as Chair of a new GDC boardto ensure the successful delivery of theOverseas Registration Examination (ORE).She will now help establish and lead theOverseas Registration Examination Board(OREB), playing a key role in recruitingmembers of the Board.

Professor Davenport was originallyinvolved in the review of the InternationalQualifying Examination (IQE) and theimplementation of the ORE. As Professorof Dental Education and Director ofQuality with the Institute of Dentistry atBarts and The London Queen Mary’sSchool of Medicine and Dentistry, shebrings over 30 years of dentistryexperience to the position.

Elizabeth said, “I am delighted to begiven the opportunity to take thisimportant examination forward. The formatof the ORE has been carefully consideredand I believe that we are in a goodposition to deliver a robust examinationwhich will be of benefit to those wishing toregister with the General Dental Counciland the public.”

GDC President Hew Mathewson said, “I amdelighted that Liz has been appointed to thisposition. She brings expert knowledge ofexamination governance and qualityassurance which is critical for this role.”

The ORE began with the first sitting ofthe Part 1 and Supplementary Paper (forcandidates transferring from Parts B and

C of the IQE) on 10 and 11 September2007, with 291 candidates taking theexamination.

We have now appointed 27 externalexaminers who will complete their training inDecember 2007. These examiners will helprun the ORE and ensure that each sitting ofthe exam meets with our high standards.

Two of these examiners will then berecruited to sit on the OREB withProfessor Davenport, along with a lay anddental educationalist. We are currentlyinterviewing for these last two positions.

Further information on the ORE and thenew Board is available on our website atwww.gdc-uk.org.

Chair of Overseas RegistrationExamination Board announced

newappointments



In line with its slogan, the Dental ComplaintsService continues to help patients anddental professionals to “put things right” –helping to resolve an average of 30-pluscomplaints a week, as fairly, efficiently,transparently and swiftly as we can.

As we said in our first annual report, that isgood news for patients, and good news fordental professionals, who have beenoverwhelmingly supportive.

You may remember that the service builds intwo attempts to resolve a complaint beforeoffering a panel meeting in a final attempt tofacilitate resolution. First, when we receive acomplaint, we ask whether the complainanthas run it through the dental practice’s owncomplaints procedure. If he or she has not,we refer them back to it.

Second, if they have, our complaintsadvisers are there to attempt to help putthings right. This may on occasion meanencouraging a patient to understand thatthey haven’t really got a complaint. Wehave done this in the past. We closethree-quarters of complaints within threeworking days.

Only the most protracted and contentious ofthe 2,250-odd complaints we have receivedremained unresolved after the effortsdescribed above. If a complaint hasn’t beenresolved it may become the subject of a

panel meeting – our final attempt to “putthings right” (though a panel may not alwaysbe appropriate).

Two particularly positive points to note arehow few people need to return to us withtheir complaint after being referred back totheir practice, and how comparatively fewcomplaints resolution panels have met (just32 in all), considering that they are our lastattempt to help resolve a complaint.

Although we have helped resolvecomplaints about other members of thedental team, such as dental nurses anddental technicians, so far complaints panelmeetings have been attended only bydentists and their patients.

Confidentiality clearly limits how much wecan report of panel meetings: patients aremore likely to use the service, and dentalprofessionals to engage positively, if thedetails of a complaint remain confidential.But we can summarise.

Of the 32 panels that have met:

■ 19 found a complaint to answer – inother words, in the complainant’sfavour.

■ On twelve occasions, panellistsrecommended that no further action betaken in relation to the complaint.

■ One panel was adjourned.

Panels have recommended a refund of fees,on a full or partial basis, as a result of 17meetings. Recommendations about a dentist's

future practice have centred most frequentlyaround in-house complaints handlingprocedures (in nine cases), and discussingtreatment plans and costs (five cases).

Complaints considered at panel meetings haveinvolved a variety of treatments, and in fourinstances more than one treatment type.Crowns and bridges have featured most often -ten times; six meetings have involvedcomplaints about dentures, and four eachabout tooth whitening and fillings. Sixcomplaints panels were about general practice.

I am delighted to report that, in each case,the recommendations of panels have beenupheld by the dental professionalconcerned. Panels may well be the lastattempt by the Dental Complaints Serviceto help resolve a complaint, but clearly theywork because dental professionals takepart overwhelmingly positively.

To contact the Dental ComplaintsService: Phone: 08456 120540 (local rate)Email: [email protected]: www.dentalcomplaints.org.uk

Hugh Smith, Head of the Dental Complaints Service

dentalcomplaints service

UPDATEhelping you put things right...

“We help to resolve an averageof 30-plus complaints a week.”

“Panels work because dentalprofessionals take partoverwhelmingly positively.”

winter 2007-2008


Your questions answeredI

In a new feature for the Gazette, we areanswering any questions you may haveabout any aspect of our work. Whether it’s todo with fitness to practise proceedings,continuing professional development orregistration. No matter what questions youhave, we would like to encourage you tosend them in and we will endeavour toanswer as many as we can here in theGazette.

In this edition, we’re featuring a range ofquestions we were asked at the DentalShowcase exhibition in October, along withqueries raised with our Customer Adviceand Information Team.

I have serious concerns regarding acolleague’s behaviour. What should I do?If you have serious concerns about thebehaviour of a colleague it is yourresponsibility to take action. Your duty asa dental professional is to put patients’interests first and act to protect them. Ifyou fail to do so by not raising a concern,your registration could be at risk.

The action you should take will depend onwhat your concern is about. Wherepossible, you should raise concerns firstwith your employer or manager. However,this may not always be possible,

especially if your employer or manager isthe source of your concern. The next stepis to contact your local primary careorganisation or NHS hospital trust. Thereshould be appointed people within primarycare organisations who you can raise yourconcerns with.

If taking action at a local level is notpractical or has failed, you should referyour concern to us if the problem is sosevere that we clearly need to be involved(for example, issues of indecency or illegalpractice) or if there is a genuine fear ofvictimisation or a cover-up.

I am retiring from dentistry. Are you ableto refund my annual retention fee (ARF)?We do not refund the ARF. If you are retiringfrom dentistry you can either write to us tobe removed from the register or you canelect to not pay the next ARF, thereforeremoving yourself from the register.

When will the list for corporatedentistry open? We expect the list for Dental BodiesCorporate to open in mid-2008. Furtherinformation will be available on ourwebsite, www.gdc-uk.org, once a finaldecision has been made.

Will registrants be able to send workto dental laboratories overseas or willthey only be able to commission work from registered dental technicians?The requirement to use registered dentaltechnicians applies to laboratories basedin the UK. Laboratories based in EUmember states must be registered withthe competent authority in that state(equivalent to the Medical and Healthcareproducts Regulatory Agency in the UK)and must meet the requirements of theMedical Devices Directive.

Laboratories based outside the EU musthave an 'authorised representative' withinthe EU who takes on the same

responsibilities in respect of providingdental devices as the manufacturer wouldin an EU state.

If you choose to use a non-UK laboratory,you should be aware that you are solelyresponsible for the standard of the devicesupplied to the patient if there is a problemand if the patient subsequently complains tothe Council.

Further guidance to registrants will beavailable after December’s Councilmeeting. Please visit our website for thelatest information.

What work can clinical dentaltechnicians undertake? Clinical dental technicians can make fulldentures for edentulous patients (thosethat have no teeth) without theinvolvement of a dentist. They can alsomake and fit partial dentures asprescribed by a dentist, who has given thepatient a full mouth examination.

?If you would like your questionsanswered, please email them [email protected].

your questions answered

OBITUARY The GDC is very sad to have receivednews that former Council memberProfessor Brian Cooke has died.

Professor Cooke served on the GDC formany years (1964 to 1982 when heretired) as the dentist membernominated by the University of Wales.



It is a legal requirement for dentists tomake an annual declaration which, by theend of each five-year cycle, must confirmtheir completion of 250 hours of CPD,with at least 75 hours being verifiable.The vast majority provided evidenceexceeding this amount.

A number of good practices were alsohighlighted, including using a personaldevelopment plan, keeping good recordsand staying up to date with CPDproviders locally.

J H Botha, a dentist at Taverham DentalHealth Centre who supplied evidence ofCPD for the audit, said, “The principle ofCPD is brilliant. It made me once moreaware of the tremendous amount ofknowledge readily available to dentists,not only the recently qualified but also forthose who have been in dentistry formany years like myself. I am now muchmore aware of courses and dentaljournals than I have ever been before.”

The next five-year CPD cycle is due toend on 31 December 2007. Dentists inthis cycle are those first registered withthe GDC:

■ between 1 January 1980 and 31December 1989,

■ between 1 January 1990 and 31December 2001 but were not on theRegister at 31 December 2001, or

■ anytime in 2002.

We will be asking all dentists in this cycleto confirm the amount of CPD they havecompleted in the previous five years atthe beginning of 2008. An audit of theCPD evidence declared will then takeplace later in the year.

For further information on CPD fordentists, please visit our website orrequest a ‘Continuing professionaldevelopment for dentists’ booklet bycontacting us on 020 7009 2746 [email protected].

A GDC audit of dentists inthe first five-year continuingprofessional development(CPD) cycle (1 January2002 -31 December 2006)has now been completed.

The audit found that over20 per cent of verifiable CPDcompleted by dentists wasin three core subjectsrecommended by the GDC -medical emergencies;disinfection anddecontamination; andradiography and radiationprotection.

Although core subjectswere not introduced untilJanuary 2007, dentists’records showed they werealready incorporatingthese in their CPDactivities.

good stead when supplying evidenceof CPD, but are also good guidelinesfor best practice.

■ Use a personal development plan tohelp you decide how you will meetthe minimum requirement of 250hours of CPD, of which at least 75hours are verifiable.

■ Decide on a recording format for yourCPD activity, such as a GDC recordingform (available on our website).Consider keeping separate records for

verifiable CPD and general CPD.■ Make sure you are up to date in core

areas, including medical emergencies,disinfection and decontamination, andradiography and radiation protection.You should carry out a minimumnumber of hours in each of theseareas as part of verifiable CPD.

■ For all verifiable CPD, make sure youhave documentary proof of yourinvolvement, for example, a signedcertificate from a course.

Supplying evidence ofcompulsory continuingprofessionaldevelopment (CPD) mayseem a little dauntingbut there are a numberof things you can do tomake it as easy and

straightforwardas possible.These tips willnot onlystand you in

CPDnews

GDC SEEKS EVIDENCE OF CPD

SUPPLYING CPD EVIDENCE IS EASY

From 1 August 2008, all dental careprofessionals will need to start recordingtheir continuing professional development(CPD).

Compulsory CPD is in line with ourStandards Guidance which sets out theprinciples that all registered dentalprofessionals should follow – this includesthe maintenance of their professionalknowledge and competence. CPD for dentalcare professionals is also an important firststep in the planned introduction ofrevalidation, which will mean that all membersof the dental team have to regularly showthat they are still fit to be on our registers.

Under the CPD requirements, all dental careprofessionals will need to complete andrecord a minimum of 150 hours of CPD infive-year cycles. A third of which (50 hours)should be verifiable CPD - amounting to tenhours per annum - while the rest can begeneral CPD.

Verifiable CPD means the activity must have:

■ ‘concise educational aims andobjectives’ – the activity should have aclear purpose or goal;

■ ‘clear anticipated outcomes’ - youshould know what you can expect togain as a result of taking part in theactivity;

■ ‘quality controls’ – you should have thechance to give feedback, with a view toimproving quality; and

■ documentary proof (e.g. a certificate) –to prove you took part in the activity.

Dental care professionals should cover thefollowing core subjects in their verifiable CPD:

■ medical emergencies (10 hours per cycle)

■ disinfection and decontamination (5 hours per cycle)

■ radiography and radiation protection (5 hours per cycle)

Dental technicians will be able to substituteradiography and radiation protection formaterials and equipment (5 hours per cycle)as radiography is not within the dentaltechnician curriculum.

In line with the CPD requirements fordentists, we recommend that DCPsinvolved in the care of patients undertakeCPD in legal and ethical issues andcomplaints handling.

There are many ways for dental careprofessionals to complete CPD, ranging fromteam training, attendance at courses andlectures, to reading journals and private study.

To find out about CPD activities in yourarea, please contact your localPostgraduate Dental Dean or yourprofessional association. Courses areadvertised in professional journals andRoyal Colleges also run courses.

Dental care professionals must submit anannual statement of the CPD hours theycomplete each year. We will monitorcompliance with the requirements byauditing the records of a sample of DCPs atthe end of each five-year cycle. Failure tocomply with the requirements may result inerasure from the register.

We will shortly be producing guidance fordental care professionals on the CPDrequirements. This will be sent to allregistered dental care professionals in thenew year.

Further information about CPD for dental care professionals isavailable on the GDC website,www.gdc-uk.org, or by calling 0845 222 4141.

page 11 winter 2007-2008


CPDnews

Disinfection anddecontaminationOur core guidance booklet ‘Standards for dental professionals’ and associated, supplementaryguidance, emphasise that all dentalprofessionals are responsible for puttingpatients’ interests first and acting toprotect them.

Central to this responsibility is the needfor dental professionals to maintainknowledge of and carry out disinfectionand decontamination. This is essentialfor those of you working in clinical andlaboratory environments, and is why it’sone of three core areas we recommendas part of compulsory continuingprofessional development (CPD).

We recommend that dentists complete atleast five hours of verifiable CPD indisinfection and decontamination overeach five-year cycle. This should be partof the 75 hours of verifiable CPDcompleted as a minimum.

When CPD is introduced for dental careprofessionals on 1 August 2008, we willalso recommend at least five hours ofverifiable CPD in disinfection anddecontamination over each five-yearcycle. This should be part of the 50hours of verifiable CPD completed as a minimum.

Both the Health ProtectionAgency and British DentalAssociation offer furtherguidance on disinfection anddecontamination which isavailable on their websites:www.hpa.org.uk andwww.bda.org

CPD FOR DCPsTO COME INTOFORCE



DCPregistration

The following four pages are dedicated to compulsory registration for dental careprofessionals. They include tips on how to complete the registration application form,as well as questions we have frequently been asked over the last few months regardingregistration.

We’re keen to find out your views on these pages. Did you find the information youwere looking for? What additional information would be useful? Please contact us [email protected] to give us your feedback or phone 0845 222 4141 forfurther information.

REGISTRATION: DON’T RISK ILLEGAL PRACTICEThere are now just over seven months to go before registrationbecomes a legal requirement for dental nurses and dentaltechnicians on 30 July 2008. To take advantage of the lower2007 application fee, we are encouraging all dental nurses anddental technicians who haven’t yet registered to do so now.

Nurses and technicians who apply before the end of 2007 willpay the existing fee – £72 – and no more until their first annualretention fee is due, in July 2009. The application fee goes up to£96 on 1 January 2008, so it makes sense to do it before Christmas.

If you have recently sat the exam to qualify as a dental nurse, dentaltechnician or clinical dental technician, please refer to page 15 formore information on how to register.

So far, only 11,309 dental care professionals from the four newgroups have joined the register.

Remember, we have made changes to the health checkrequirements for registration applicants. The changes recognisethat the roles of some members of the dental team are moreexposure-prone than others and therefore carry different degreesof risk for patients:

■ Dental technicians and dental nurses who do not workin a clinical environment will not need to provide a healthcertificate.

■ Dental nurses who work in a clinical environment (i.e.the majority of dental nurses) and dental hygienists,dental therapists, clinical dental technicians andorthodontic therapists can now have their health certificate

completed by either an employing or supervising dentist or a doctor. You will need to have worked in the practice for at least twelve months and provide evidence of your original immunisation certificates for a dentist to sign yourhealth certificate.

Category Number registered*

Dental nurses 10,307

Dental technicians 944

Clinical dental technicians 58

Orthodontic therapists 0 (the first are still in training)

SIMPLIFIED HEALTH CHECKS

Current registration figures:

* These figures are accurate on 12 November 2007

Dental nurses and dental technicians who continue to put offregistration will not only pay a higher fee, but could find themselvesno longer being able to work, or facing criminal charges if theycontinue to work without GDC registration after 30 July 2008.

So why delay registration any longer? Get your application form to us by the end of the year andyou’ll not only be registered in time for the deadline, but you’ll also pay the lower fee. Download aform from our website today.

More comprehensive guidance for applicants, dentistsand doctors is available on the GDC website and in theregistration application pack. To request a pack, pleasecontact our Registration Team on 0845 222 4141 or [email protected].

winter 2007-2008


DCPregistration

Registration: know the facts

There are now new separate applicationforms for dental nurses and dentaltechnicians, so please ensure that youhave the correct form.

The new application form and furtherinformation about DCP registration isavailable from the GDC website www.gdc-uk.org.

If you have one of the originalapplication forms you can still use this,but you may find the new form easier tocomplete.

Completed registration forms need to besent back to us, along with copies ofsupporting documents and theregistration fee.

What are the key areas Ineed to look out for?

Proving identityAll applicants must be able to prove theiridentity by providing a photocopy of:

■ a valid passport, or■ a valid photocard driving licence, or

■ a valid ID card issued by the armedforces, or

■ a marriage certificate or other officialdocument if you have changed yourname.

Don’t forget that your character refereewill need to sign to say that they haveseen the original document. Please donot send us originals.

Good character referenceA referee, who is not a family memberand has known you for at least one year,must confirm your good character. Thiscan include:

■ the head of your dental trainingschool or his/her nominee, or

■ the person responsible for thesupervision of your training, or

■ another person of professionalstanding (in any country) including adentist, doctor, person entitled topractise law, minister of religion orcivil servant.

Please be aware that the reference willonly be valid for three months from thedate on which it was signed.

Health certificateThe health certificate only needs to becompleted if you work with patients, inwhich case it will show that you are fit topractise. This must be completed by adentist if s/he has worked with you forover a year, or by a medical practitioner,who is not a member of your family.

Again, this certificate is only valid for threemonths from the date on which it wassigned.

What do I do if I need moreinformation?

If you have any questions or concernsabout completing the application form,please visit our website www.gdc-uk.orgor call our Registration Team on 0845222 4141. They will be able to offeradvice and answer any questions youhave about registration.

Qualification or experience?Dental nurses and dental technicianswho do not hold a formalqualification and want to apply onthe basis of their experience mustregister before 30 July 2008. After thedeadline, the only way on to theDental Care Professionals Register

will be with a recognised qualification.This means that you would need toqualify from scratch. Somequalifications no longer awarded are stillaccepted for GDC registration if youapply by July 2008.

For more information on the amountof experience you need, or for detailsof the qualifications recognised forregistration, please visit our websiteor contact our Registration Team on0845 222 4141.

Earlier this year, the GDC simplified the application process and introduced new streamlined application forms to makeregistration as easy as possible and to prevent mistakes being made which can lengthen the process.



DCPregistration

WE’RE GDC-REGISTERED!

REGISTRATION OPTIONS FOR OVERSEAS DCPsA new GDC working group is looking athow best to assess overseas DCPs’suitability for registration.

The Overseas DCPs Registration WorkingGroup aims to establish assessments forclinical dental technicians, dental hygienists,dental nurses, dental technicians, dentaltherapists and orthodontic therapists whodo not have a UK or recognised Europeanqualification and who wish to apply forregistration to work in the UK.

The members of the Working Group are:

■ Mabel Slater (Chair, GDC DCP Councilmember)

■ David Murphy (GDC lay Council member)■ Denis Toppin (GDC dentist Council

member)■ Gordon Miles (GDC executive)■ Amanda Little (GDC DCP policy leader)

The Group issued a call for ideas to allcategories of stakeholders in November,

which was also available on our website.The views expressed in this broad call for ideas will inform a focused consultationon options for routes to registration foroverseas DCPs, at the beginning of 2008.

For more information and the latestdevelopments please visit www.gdc-uk.org.

All four dental nurses at Jack Roberts &

Associates dental practice in Wakefield

have registered with the GDC.

Three nurses registered through a City

& Guilds NVQ level 3 in oral

healthcare, whilst one nurse registered

on the basis of her experience. Two

other nurses are on an approved

training course at a local college.

The Practice Manager Sallie Rhodes

said, “I think it is fantastic that nurses

now are required to register with the

GDC. It brings their chosen profession

into the 21st century and shows their

commitment and dedication to their

chosen career.

I made sure all our dental nurses

registered early as I feel it shows the

team and patients alike our

commitment to the nurses’ continuing

professional development. It also

shows our patients our commitment to

providing fully trained and

professionally recognised nursing staff.

Registration has been a long time

coming. It was not so long ago that

dental nurses were seen as glorified

cleaners and tea ladies. Well done the

GDC!”

Is your team GDC-registered? We’re

keen to hear from other laboratories

and practices, small and large, where

the whole dental team is registered. If

you’d like your team to feature in a

future Gazette, please get in touch

and tell us why you felt it was

important to register early.

Email [email protected]

or call 020 7009 2746.

REGISTRATION: Your questionsansweredHow much is the registration fee? The registration fee is currently £72 but thisgoes up to £96 on 1 January 2008. So ifyou haven’t registered yet, it makes sense toget your application to us before Christmasand pay the lower fee. For dental techniciansand dental nurses, your initial registration feecovers you until July 2009 when your firstannual retention fee will be due.

Shouldn’t my employer pay myregistration fee? It is your own personal responsibility toregister with the GDC. Your employer mayagree to pay the registration fee for you butthey are not obliged to.

If I work in a dental laboratory, do I needto be registered?If you’re a dental technician you shouldregister. If you’re eligible to register as adental technician, you should register now,whatever work you are doing. Because inthe long term, you might lose out. Don’tmiss the boat. You can only register on thebasis of experience before 30 July 2008.

What if I decide not to register with the GDC?Registration with the GDC is not optional.After 30 July 2008, dental nurses and dentaltechnicians who are not registered with theGDC will no longer be able to work, and willface criminal charges if they do. Furtherinformation on how to register with us isavailable on page 13.

winter 2007-2008


Over the past few months, we havereceived many enquiries about dental nursetraining. Here we answer some of thequestions we are often asked:

I’ve nearly finished my training as adental nurse. Do I need to let you knowI’m in training and should I registerbefore the deadline? Well, you don’t have to but it might becheaper for you! If you hope to receive yourqualification before 30 July 2008 you cansend in your application form before theend of this year and only pay the 2007 fee(£72). The fee goes up by £24 on 1January 2008. For further information onsoon to be qualified dental careprofessionals, please see below.

We are happy for dental nurses who areworking towards a registrable qualificationto work without being registered with theGDC until they have finished their studies,but please remember that you do need toregister with us once you have receivedyour qualification.

I have completed the national exambut need two years’ work experiencebefore I get my certificate – wheredoes this leave me with registration? The two years' chair-side experience ispart of the requirement to complete theNational Certificate. So, even though youhave passed your exam, the fact that youare still doing your two years in thepractice means that you are still 'in

DENTAL NURSES IN TRAINING

Are you soon to be qualified?Trainee dental care professionals who are

due to qualify before 30 July 2008 can get

a head start on registration and take

advantage of the 2007 GDC registration

fee of £72, so long as they apply before

the end of this year.

The registration fee goes up to £96 on 1

January 2008, but trainee dental care

professionals can submit a completed

registration application before 31

December and pay the current fee.

The same arrangement is also open to

trainee dental hygienists, dental therapists,

clinical dental technicians and orthodontic

therapists who are due to qualify before 30

July 2008 and need to register before they

can work. Whether the offer is financially

beneficial for them will depend on when

they want to start work following

qualification - in their first year of

registration they pay less the later in the

calendar year they register (in 2008 the first

registration fee is £8/month). It is therefore

not going to be an attractive option for

these groups to take advantage of this

'apply now' offer if they will receive their

qualification and register after 1 April 2008.

Individuals who want to practise before

April will have to pay more than £72, so

applying now on the current fee will be an

attractive option for them.

DCPs in training who send in their

application now won’t be registered until

they send in a copy of their qualification

certificate. This must be received by us no

later than 30 July 2008. They will then be

officially entered onto the Dental Care

Professionals Register.

DCPs who take advantage of this offer, but

later do not obtain their qualification, will be

able to request a full refund.

For more information on your route to

registration and to receive a registration

application pack, please visit our website

www.gdc-uk.org, or contact our

Registration Team on 0845 222 4141 (local

rate) or [email protected].

DCPregistration

training' and can therefore work as adental nurse. When you have completedyour two years and got your certificate,you will need to register with us straightaway.

We realise that there are lots of otherissues around dental nurse training thatstill need further clarity. These are issuesthat the Council will be exploring further atthe next meeting in December. We willkeep you updated with the latestdevelopments on our website, www.gdc-uk.org.



Dental teamwork is all about workingtogether to provide good quality dental carefor patients, and is not just limited to staffwho work at the same practice.

Our dental team guidance states thatpatients should have a full mouthassessment carried out by a dentist, whoshould then provide the patient with atreatment plan. The patient may take thetreatment plan to any appropriateregistered dental professional.

This guidance recognises that the dentist isthe only member of the team with the skillsto diagnose a full range of oral conditionsand plan for a patient’s treatment. However,

it is important for dentists to remember thatthis position also brings with it certainresponsibilities, not only to patients but tothe other members of the dental team whoare able to provide some types oftreatment. For example, a hygienist couldcarry out scaling and polishing, or a clinicaldental technician (CDT) could provide apartial denture within the dentist’s overalltreatment plan.

If the patient wants to take their treatment planto another member of the team able to carryout the treatment, then that is their choice.There are now even more registered membersof the dental team trained and qualified toprovide treatment safely for patients.

An example of this in practice is if a patientneeds a partial denture. They would firstneed to see a dentist for a full mouthexamination and treatment plan asexplained previously. They might thenchoose to stay with the dentist to have thedenture made, but they also have the rightto take that prescription to any suitablytrained and qualified dental professionalsuch as a CDT in order to have the denturemade.

Further guidance on dental teamwork isavailable from the GDC as part of the‘Standards Guidance’ publications. For acopy, please call 020 7009 2746 or [email protected].

PROVIDING TREATMENT PLANS

This year’s BDTA Dental Showcase wasthe busiest yet for the GDC, with anestimated 2,000 dental professionalsand others visiting our stand between18 and 20 October.

During these three days, a dedicatedteam of GDC staff was on hand at our‘Registration Surgery’ to answerquestions on dental care professionalregistration, provide the new simplifiedapplication forms, check applicationsand make sure they were completedcorrectly.

Dental technician Sue Dawson fromDevon visited the Registration Surgeryfor more information about how toregister. She said, “The GDC stand wasthe first one that I visited at DentalShowcase so that I could get the

information I needed first-hand. I didn’trealise until I came along to the stand thatthe fees were going up and I am feelingmuch better about DCP registration now. I thank the staff for providing the correctinformation and would encourage othersto speak to the GDC directly to find outwhat they need to do to register as thereis a lot of misinformation out there.”

Vanita Bhogaita, Marta Drubkowka, andMarzena Bogari said, “Our lives are busyso it was a good opportunity to get moreinformation about registration here at theDental Showcase exhibition.”

The Registration Surgery will beavailable at future events the GDC isattending. Please see the back coverfor further details.

GDC AT DENTALSHOWCASE

The GDC Registration Surgery at DentalShowcase 2007

Laura Hill (left), pictured with NatalieWilliamson and Helen Rudge, said, “Iheard about the Registration Surgerythrough advertising and came alongtoday to hand in my application form.The Registration Surgery at DentalShowcase was a convenient service.”

winter 2007-2008


GDC President visits SheffieldSchool of Clinical DentistryAt the end of August 2007, HewMathewson, President of the GDC, visitedthe University of Sheffield’s School ofClinical Dentistry to learn more about theirclinical placement outreach programme.

The University has partnered with The MountDental Practice in Hemsworth, Pontefract,and the Thompson and Thomas practice atthe new Fairlawns centre in Middlewood toprovide students with the practicalexperience of working in a dental practice.

Hew Mathewson said, "As the UK dentalregulator, one of our most important roles issetting educational standards. Weencourage providers to be innovative withtheir programmes.

Outreach is an exciting and demandingdevelopment for dental schools and theUniversity of Sheffield has been at theforefront of this."

The programme will continue to grow withthree additional new outreach centrescurrently under construction.

New dental schools open inSouth West and North WestThe GDC plays an important role in thequality assurance of dental education. As aresult, two new dental schools in the UKhave been inspected and approved, andopened their doors for new cohorts ofstudents in September 2007.

As part of our quality assurance process,each school had to submit their newprogramme for students to our EducationCommittee for approval. In April, weinspected both schools and were pleasedwith the progress they had made. We willcontinue to inspect the schools each year,with the next inspection due in Spring 2008.

The University of Central Lancashire, inpartnership with Liverpool University,launched the new graduate entry dentalprogramme for the award of Bachelor ofDental Surgery. The first cohort of 32students was welcomed onto theprogramme on 3 September in the new,state of the art School of Dentistry.

The students will spend the first year on thePreston Campus, and then will be locatedat one of four Dental Education Centres inthe Northwest – Accrington, Blackpool, Carlisle and Morecambe. Under thesupervision of experienced staff, the students will start to provide dental care for

the local population whilst continuing todevelop their knowledge and understanding.

The Peninsula Dental School also welcomedits inaugural cohort of students on 17September. Hew Mathewson, President ofthe GDC, enjoyed meeting the new studentsand members of staff when he visited theDental School on 20 September.

188 people applied for the 64 places on thefour-year course, resulting in a high standardof students, all educated to graduate level,with many having clinical experience fromother healthcare disciplines.

The students began their training on newphantom head facilities on the University ofPlymouth campus while purpose-builtfacilities are developed in Devonport, Exeterand Truro. It is expected that by the timethey reach their third year, the first cohortand the years below them will be trainingacross the South West.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN DENTAL EDUCATION

President of the General Dental Council, HewMathewson, at The Mount Dental Practice withsupervising dentists Richard Main, Amita Shahi andScott Senior and student manager Christine Abbott.

Professor Liz Kay, Dean of the Peninsula DentalSchool, with the first cohort of dental students.

dental educationnews

Imag

e su

pplie

d by

Mid

as T

ouch

Pho

togr

aphy

Update: Specialist Dental Education BoardThe Specialist Dental Education Board(SDEB) held its third meeting on 18October 2007. The SDEB reports tothe Education Committee andconsiders issues relating to the trainingand listing of dental specialties. TheBoard has so far been developingcurriculum guidance, which will bedistributed once finalised and approvedby the Education Committee. Therelevant Specialist AdvisoryCommittees will be asked to submit

new curricula in line with theframework developed by the Board. Ithas also begun to consider futurequality assurance structures that mightbe adopted in specialist training.

For more information on the work of the Board, its agendas and minutes, please visit our website.Alternatively, please contact EwenMacleod on 020 7887 3801 [email protected].



GDC OPENS ITS DOORSFOR PCTsFollowing the successful pilot event inMarch, a further three open days havetaken place this year, the last of whichwas in mid-November.

All primary care trusts (PCTs) in Englandwere invited and feedback from thesessions has been very positive. Delegatesreceived presentations on registeringdentists and dental care professionals(including information on the OverseasRegistration Examination), fitness topractise processes and revalidation.

We are hoping to organise similar eventsin 2008 and are looking to find ways towork with Trusts and Boards in the threeother countries.

For more information, please contactClaire Kehoe on 020 7009 2784 or [email protected].

CONDUCTING CLINICALTRIALSThe GDC has issued a statement for allregistrants associated with, undertaking orinvolved in clinical trials and research.

Relevant standards include:

■ putting the patients’ interests first;

■ finding out about laws and regulationswhich may affect your work;

■ finding out about current best practice;

■ acting honestly and fairly; and

■ making sure patients are able to claimcompensation.

Further advice and legislation can be foundvia the ‘Standards Guidance’ on the GDCwebsite and at the Medicines andHealthcare products Regulatory Agencywebsite, www.mhra.gov.uk.

newsin brief

GDC MEETS IN CARDIFFMembers of the Welsh public were giventhe chance find out more about the UKdental regulator and how decisions aremade when the Council met in Cardiff on18 September.

The meeting opened with an opportunityfor people to put questions to thePresident and Council members inEnglish or Welsh.

The Cardiff meeting was the secondCouncil meeting to be held outsideLondon. Last year, the Council met inEdinburgh. Next year the Council plansto meet in Belfast.

The key decisions from September’sCouncil meeting are available on our website.

The GDC is committed to protecting thepublic by bringing cases of illegal practice toCourt. It is a criminal offence for anyoneother than a registered dental professional tocarry out dentistry, and as such, we willprosecute people who practise dentistryillegally. These cases are usually heard in theMagistrates Court, carrying a maximumpenalty of £5,000 per offence.

The majority of our cases fall into three maincategories. The provision of dentures direct tothe public by unregistered technicians formsthe basis of the majority of the convictionsobtained by the Council. A number ofindividuals have been brought before the Courton numerous occasions for repeat offences.

The activity that accounts for the next largestgroup of cases arises where a registrant iserased for non-payment of the annualretention fee but continues to practise.Cases also occur where dentists take upemployment before becoming registeredwith the Council, and where retired dentists

or those who have been removed from theRegister continue to use their title to obtainsome benefit such as prescription drugs.

Some more novel cases are also coming tolight. We currently have proceedingspending against a limited company whichcarried on the business of dentistry with noregistrants on the board. We are alsopreparing proceedings against the proprietorof a chain of beauty salons in relation totooth whitening by unregistered individuals,which is explored further on page 6.

Details of recent cases brought before theCourt are set out below.

GDC v Andrew WhiteMr White was convicted of two offences ofthe illegal practice of dentistry at ChesterfieldMagistrates Court on 18 April 2007 relatingto the provision of dentures direct to twomembers of the public. His associate, MsAlison Wood, was convicted of one similaroffence. Mr White was ordered to pay a fine

of £750 for each offence, ordered to paycompensation to the affected patientstotalling £765 and to pay £3,000 towardsprosecution costs. Ms Wood was also fined£750, ordered to pay compensation of £490and £1,000 towards prosecution costs.

Mr White was convicted of a further threeoffences of illegal practice at the same Courton 8 August 2007 relating to his treatmentof a patient over a two-year period. He wasfined £750 for each offence, ordered to paycompensation of £500 and ordered to paythe Council’s prosecution costs of £1,830.

GDC v Richard KirkMr Kirk was a dentist who continued inpractice until early 2007 despite having beenremoved from the Register for non-payment ofthe Annual Retention Fee in January 2003. Hewas convicted of a single offence of the illegalpractice of dentistry spanning the periodAugust 2005 to January 2007, and was fined£1,500 and ordered to pay the Council’sprosecution costs of around £3,000.

GDC TAKES ACTION AGAINST ILLEGAL PRACTICE

winter 2007-2008


CONDUCTCASES REVIEWED17 conduct cases wereheard between June andSeptember 2007. Therewas also one applicationfor restoration.

Conduct case outcomes June - September 2007 (All cases relate to dentists)

Conduct Cases 17

Erased with immediatesuspension 5(including the new rules case)

Suspended 1

Postponed judgment 2

Admonished 3

Case concluded 1

Not guilty of serious professionalmisconduct 2

Adjourned 2

Conditions 1

Restoration Cases 1

Not restored 1

Total 18

The registrants listed here may shareidentical or similar names with otherregistrants on our registers and confusioncould cause serious distress andprofessional embarrassment to those whohave not been involved in fitness to practiseproceedings. To confirm the identity of theregistrants involved in fitness to practiseproceedings, we have listed their uniqueregistration number next to their name.

Respondent Registration Number

Type of Case

Outcome

CACCHI,Cesare

100066 Conduct Guilty of serious professional misconduct:erased with immediate suspension

CHYZY,Joanna

84125 Conduct (Resumed)

Guilty of serious professional misconduct:erased with immediate suspension

CINGARI, Roberto

71591 Conduct Not guilty of serious professional misconduct:case concluded

DIBA, Pirooz

72462 Conduct Not guilty of serious professional misconduct:case concluded

EISENBERG,Philip Alan

63467 Conduct(Resumed)

Guilty of serious professional misconduct: caseconcluded

HEPPLESTON,David Geoffrey *

59270 Conviction Adjourned: date for resumption to be confirmed

HICKS, Sigvard Uriel

73572 Conduct Guilty of serious professional misconduct:erased with immediate suspension

HUANG, Wei-Tzen

78858 Conduct Guilty of serious professional misconduct:admonished

JEDEIKIN, Larry


JESSA, Amish

75340 Conduct Guilty of serious professional misconduct:judgement postponed for 9 months

KEE CHO, John

81883 Conduct Guilty of serious professional misconduct:judgement postponed for 12 months

KONO ABE, Martin Junior *

84301 Conviction Fitness to practise impaired by conviction:erased with immediate suspension

KRSTIC, Branco

73676 Conduct Guilty of serious professional misconduct:suspended for 12 months

LIANDRAKIS, Vicki *

71398 Conduct Fitness to practise impaired by conduct: erasedwith immediate suspension

PHOTAY,Parkash Singh

44764 Conduct Adjourned until 5 October 2007

RAZA, Haider


SHAH, Mohamed *

75210 Conduct Fitness to practise impaired by conduct:conditions imposed for 3 years

TOUKHI, Mohammad Daud *

75640 Restoration Not restored to the Dentists Register

*These cases were heard under our new fitness to practise rules which came into force on 31 July 2006. All cases that were initiated

before this date are considered under the previous rules.

conduct casesreviewed




CASE DETAILSThe following are a selection of the casesconsidered by the Professional ConductCommittee between June and September2007. All cases are listed in the table onpage 19 but limited space in the Gazettemeans we are unable to report in detail onall of them.

If you would like more details of any of thecases, including the full determination,please visit the ‘General public’ section ofour website (www.gdc-uk.org) or contactour Hearings Team:

Phone: 020 7887 3821Email: [email protected]

CACCHI, Cesare (Registration number 100066)

Mr Cacchi did not attend the hearing and wasnot represented. Mr Cacchi was practisingprivately as a dentist at the AuchtermuchtyDental Centre in Fife, Scotland, from December2005 until June 2006. Mr Cacchi did not haveindemnity cover during this period.

On 20 January 2006 Mr Cacchi examined apatient who presented with pain. Afterradiographs were taken, he concluded that thepatient required fillings, extractions and rootcanal treatment. He did not then proceed toimmediately extract the roots. On this date, therespondent also failed to explain the diagnosis tothe patient or his mother and neither were therisks and the benefits of the proposed treatmentcovered. He did not discuss potential outcomesif the treatment was not carried out, nor did hemention possible alternative treatments. On 27January 2006 the same patient returned to thepractice without an appointment. Mr Cacchidiagnosed an infection and prescribed a five daycourse of Amoxicillin to control it. On 30 Januaryhe extracted the roots. A few days later, thepatient returned and stated that he had a furtherinfection, so the respondent gave anotherprescription of Amoxicillin. Mr Cacchi had failedto adequately investigate the cause of the painand whether the pain was due to a cause otherthan an infection. He further omitted to indicateon the prescription the number of capsules to bedisbursed by the pharmacist.

The Committee found proved the fact that MrCacchi was not indemnified against claims forprofessional negligence between December2005 and June 2006. Evidence was put forwardwhich satisfied that Mr Cacchi was in fact told bythe Council of the obligation to be indemnified.They also noted that he claimed that he wasunaware of this basic professional requirement.The Committee concluded that for the

respondent to practise whilst not beingindemnified, was a serious departure fromprofessional standards; he left patientsunprotected and was liable to undermineconfidence in the profession.

Mr Cacchi failed to provide adequate andimmediate treatment for a patient who consultedhim for the relief of persistent and severe dentalpain. He did not adopt a systematic approach tothe diagnosis of this condition and he did notcommunicate adequately with the patient. Thesefailures were found to be clear breaches of theethical guidelines in force at the relevant time, asset out in Standards for Dental Professionals. MrCacchi’s long and apparently unblemishedprofessional career, his remorse, the apparentabsence of professional support while he was inthe United Kingdom, his poor knowledge ofEnglish and his unfamiliarity with UK requirementswere all taken into account by the Committee.

Ultimately, however, the Committee found MrCacchi guilty of serious professional misconductand felt that erasure from the Dentists Registerwith immediate suspension was the only sanctionthat would adequately protect the public.

HICKS, Sigvard Uriel(Registration number 73572)

The Committee found that from July 1997 toMay 2006, Mr Hicks practised dentistry despiteknowing that he was suffering from Hepatitis C.In particular, he carried out treatments that mighthave posed a risk of exposure to his patients.Despite knowing about his condition, Mr Hicksdid not seek appropriate health advice, andfailed to let either his patients or his colleaguesknow that he was suffering from Hepatitis C,putting his own interests above those of hispatients or colleagues. He also failed to take any,or adequate, precautions to protect his patientsand colleagues from exposure to infection.

In response to a submission by Mr Hicks andgiven the fact that the allegations concerned MrHicks’ health, the Committee agreed to thehearing being conducted in private. They did nothowever, agree to the determination being readin private.

In reaching a finding of serious professionalmisconduct, the Committee considered MrHicks’ behaviour both unethical and dishonest;he had put his own interests before those of hispatients and colleagues. In view of hisdishonesty and lack of concern for the safety ofhis patients, the Committee determined that theonly sanction which appropriately reflected theseriousness of Mr Hicks’ actions was to erasehim from the Dentists Register with immediatesuspension. This reflected the Committee’s viewthat public protection was paramount, as wasthe need to uphold public confidence in theprofession.

The Committee was acutely aware that makingtheir findings public might cause serious concernamongst Mr Hicks’ former patients. It therefore

delayed making a public determination for oneday. This was to allow the Torbay NHS CareTrust and local Primary Care Trusts time to putinto place any mechanisms it decided werenecessary to answer queries from patientstreated by Mr Hicks.

HUANG, Wei-Tzen (Registration number 78858)

Ms Huang admitted that during the period of2001 and 2002 she submitted, or caused orallowed to be submitted, in the name of theprincipal of her practice, claims for treatment inrespect of 22 patients which were inappropriateand misleading. The claims were made forextractions of special difficulty, when they wereactually simple extractions. Ms Huang alsoadmitted that she practised for a period of onemonth in 2002 whilst not registered with theGeneral Dental Council.

The Committee accepted that there was nodishonesty on Ms Huang’s part, but found seriousshortcomings in her practice. It was Ms Huang’sduty to ensure that the claims made were correct,and to make enquiries to ensure that she hadthe appropriate knowledge to make the claims.

The Committee also noted that Ms Huang madea deliberate decision not to notify the GeneralDental Council of her change of address whenshe left her previous employment. The reasonshe gave for this was to avoid complications withher visa. As a result, Ms Huang did not receivecorrespondence. Taking all the circumstancesinto account, the Committee found her guilty ofserious professional misconduct.

The Committee noted that Ms Huang was in anew country faced with a new system ofremuneration, and had not received a formalinduction into the practice’s administrativeprocedures. Whilst neither of these mattersamounted to an excuse, they were relevant inconsidering the disposal in this case. TheCommittee in particular noted Ms Huang’sremorse and her apologies, and concluded thecase with an admonition.

JEDEIKIN, Larry (Registration number 75334)

Mr Jedeikin perforated a root canal during a postcrown preparation, and failed on severaloccasions to inform the patient of this fact or tooffer a referral to an appropriate specialist. MrJedeikin also refused to accede to repeatedrequests from the patient to provide copies ofdental records. He destroyed the original recordsand re-wrote them.

The Committee found that these actionsamounted to a failure by Mr Jedeikin to protectthe interests of the patient and to face up to hisprofessional responsibilities. While perforation ofa root canal during post crown preparation doesnot necessarily indicate poor clinicalperformance, it is the responsibility of the dentistto proceed in the most appropriate manner after

winter 2007-2008



diagnosing such a condition; namely, to informthe patient and provide the necessary carewhich may include making a referral. Mr Jedeikindid not fulfil those responsibilities during theperiod in which he was treating the patient. Itwas also totally inappropriate to destroycontemporaneous records, which are highlyimportant for the continuing care of the patient.Taking all aspects of his conduct into account,the Committee found Mr Jedeikin guilty ofserious professional misconduct.

The Committee noted that this case involvedonly one patient, and that Mr Jedeikin wasotherwise of good character with no othercomplaints recorded against him. It determinedthat it would be disproportionately harsh tosuspend or erase him. The Committeeconcluded the case with an admonition.

KEE CHO, John (Registration number 81883)

Mr Kee Cho came before the Committee onallegations concerning the treatment he providedto three patients between about March 2004and February 2005. He provided orthodontictreatment to one patient and extensive implanttreatment to two others. The Committee foundthat Mr Kee Cho attempted treatment clearlybeyond his competence, which included:

■ Undertaking treatment when he hadinsufficient command and understanding ofthe English language to communicateeffectively with patients.

■ Inadequate preparation for the proceduresto be undertaken by way of significantdeficiencies in history taking, diagnosis,radiographic examination and the materialsand equipment used.

■ Incompetence in the execution of individualclinical procedures.

■ Ignoring clearly defined and readily availableprofessional standards and guidelines.

■ Inadequate preparation of the patients andfailing to gain informed consent by failing toprovide sufficiently detailed and balancedadvice concerning the treatment optionsand their potential consequences.

■ Inadequate information given to patientswith regard to the progress of theirtreatment, steps they needed to take toensure their teeth and gums remainedhealthy during treatment and whatsubsequent self-care would be necessary.

■ Inadequate, incomplete, and confusing clinicalnotes indicative of overall poor record keeping.

■ Making no effort to engage with referralservices.

■ Deserting patients in the midst of treatmentwithout appropriate arrangements beingmade for their continuing care.

Patients suffered significant emotional andpermanent physical damage as a result of thetreatment provided and rescue treatment wasnecessary.

As a dentist newly arrived from overseas Mr KeeCho had failed in his obligations to familiarise himselfwith current ethical guidance and standards ofpractice in the UK, and the Committee found himguilty of serious professional misconduct.

In considering sanction, the Committee notedthat Mr Kee Cho had accepted responsibility forthese failings, that he had admitted all of theunderlying facts, and had also demonstratedremorse. Mr Kee Cho had also apologised to thepatients. The Committee also bore in mind thepositive actions Mr Kee Cho had taken in joiningvoluntarily the Adverse Risk Member (ARM)programme of Dental Protection Limited (DPL)and the fact he had been mentored andmonitored since August 2005. Through hiscounsel, Mr Kee Cho stated publicly that he didnot intend to carry out implantology andorthodontics in the foreseeable future, and theCommittee accepted this.

Evidence from his mentor on the ARMprogramme concerning Mr Kee Cho’scommunication skills and his clinical andradiographic skills was positive and indicatedthat he was no longer a risk to patients within hiscurrent restricted practice. However, theCommittee had concerns about his isolatedpractice, and the fact that his current continuingprofessional development record was veryfocused on distance learning, suggesting anapparent lack of contact with clinical peers.

The Committee determined it appropriate andproportionate to postpone judgement for aperiod of twelve months, which would enablethe Committee, on resumption of the case, todecide whether the marked improvement in MrKee Cho’s practice since 2004/2005 had beenmaintained and whether it could confidently beconcluded that in future he would practise safely.

KONO ABE, Martin Junior(Registration number 84301)

On 21 March 2007 Mr Kono Abe was convictedat Preston Crown Court of sexual assault on afemale. He was later sentenced to carry out 80hours of unpaid work; to be supervised fortwelve months by a social worker appointed bythe Edinburgh Sheriffdom; and to register withthe police under the Sex Offenders Act 2003 fora period of five years.

The Committee heard the case under the newrules. In the light of Mr Kono Abe’s conviction,the penalties imposed on him, and therequirement to register under the Sex OffendersAct 2003, the Committee found his conductfundamentally incompatible with the standardsexpected of a professional person andaccordingly found his fitness to practise impairedby reason of his conviction.

The Committee noted the seriousness of theoffence, which occurred in the work-place whenMr Kono Abe was in a position of authority overa young member of staff. This constituted abreach of trust.

The Committee gave careful consideration to theneed to protect the public given Mr Kono Abe’sobligation to remain on the Sex OffendersRegister for a period of five years. Havingconsidered relevant guidance and case-law, forthe protection of the public the Committeeerased Mr Kono Abe from the Dentists Register,with immediate suspension.

KRSTIC, Branko (Registration number 73676)

On 21 September 2005 Mr Krstic carried outtreatment on a referred patient. He was to carryout three fillings and extractions of fourdeciduous lower incisor teeth using conscioussedation. However, he failed to carry out anadequate examination of the patient’s mouth,nor did Mr Krstic gain informed consent for hisrevised treatment plan which comprised threefillings and extraction of the four upperdeciduous incisor teeth. At the end of thetreatment Mr Krstic realised that he had notcarried out the treatment as prescribed on thereferral form and in attempting to cover up hismistake he altered the referral form which wassubsequently shown to the patient’s mother.

This was dishonest and designed to mislead andto place the blame for Mr Krstic’s mistake on hisreferring colleague. Furthermore, from 21September 2005, and in his evidence to theGDC, Mr Krstic compounded his dishonesty bymaintaining that he did not alter the referral formand that his treatment of the patient was inaccordance with the referral form. TheCommittee found him guilty of seriousprofessional misconduct.

In persisting in denying that he was responsiblefor altering this document, Mr Krsticdemonstrated no insight into the seriousness ofhis position and the need for him, as a dentist, toconduct all aspects of his professional life withhonesty and candour.

The Committee found Mr Krstic to be a competentdentist and that there would be no risk to patientsif he were allowed to continue in practice.However, it considered that the appropriatesanction was suspension from the Register for aperiod of twelve months in light of the effect ofMr Krstic’s misconduct on public confidence inthe profession and the need to maintain properstandards of conduct and behaviour.

LIANDRAKIS, Vicki (Registration number 71398)

In February 2006 Ms Liandrakis was present at ameeting of the Preliminary ProceedingsCommittee (PPC) which suspended her for threemonths on the basis of allegations that, forapproximately one month in late 2005, afterfitting a removable appliance to a patient, shetook a lengthy absence from her clinic. In herabsence, she failed to let her patient know thatshe would be away and failed to make anyarrangements for her patient’s continuing care.




In April 2006 her suspension was extended for afurther three months while the Committeeawaited evidence of Ms Liandrakis’ financialresources. In May 2006 Ms Liandrakis’ againappeared before the PPC, during which shestated that she was not currently working andhad not worked since January 2006.

Subsequently, Ms Liandrakis appeared beforethe Professional Conduct Committee (PCC) inJune 2006. In the course of giving her evidence,Ms Liandrakis again declared that she was notworking. Ms Liandrakis’ registration remainedsuspended.

At a further meeting of the PCC, at which MsLiandrakis was not represented and which shedid not attend, the Committee found thatbetween March and early June 2006, and again,later in June 2006 she had treated the patientwho had brought the initial complaint. Thistreatment was during the period that herregistration had been suspended on an interimbasis which contradicted her previous assertionsto both the Preliminary Proceedings Committeeand the Professional Conduct Committee thatshe had not worked during the first half of 2006.The patient had not been told that she wasbeing treated whilst Ms Liandrakis’ dentalregistration was suspended.

The Committee considered that by continuing topractise during her suspension, and by lying totwo GDC Committees, Ms Liandrakis hadshown both a cynical disregard of her professionas well as a lack of responsibility towards herpatient. This was in addition to the initial chargeof failing to provide a care programme for herpatient whilst away from the practice. TheCommittee noted the serial nature of herdishonesty towards the GDC Committees. Inconclusion, it agreed that only the sanction oferasure from the Dentists Register withimmediate suspension could properly reflect theseverity of the findings.

Restoration Application (New rules)

TOUKHI, Mohammad Daud(Former Registration number 75640)

Mr Toukhi was erased on 31 March 2006following the finding of serious professionalmisconduct in relation to very serious charges,which included:

■ Failing to note a patient’s recorded allergy topenicillin, subsequently prescribing a type ofpenicillin and failing to note the alternativemedicine prescribed.

■ Behaving in an inappropriate, unprofessionalor intimidatory manner to another dentalprofessional, to a member of staff, and amember of her family, being verbally andphysically abusive, and making a threat to kill.

■ Not making adequate provision for thecontinuing care of patients after he had leftthe surgery in January 2004, which was notin their best interests.

At the restoration hearing on 11 September2007 Mr Toukhi was not restored to the DentistsRegister because the Committee wasconcerned on several counts:

■ Mr Toukhi failed to show sufficientunderstanding, both before and during therestoration hearing, of the importance of theproceedings. He made assertions that werenot supported by appropriate documentaryevidence. He also asserted that stress hadaffected his behaviour and professionalconduct in the United Kingdom, and that hesought the advice and treatment of apsychologist, but provided no documentaryevidence from any medical source tosupport this.

■ There were inconsistencies in Mr Toukhi’soral evidence in relation to both his currentpractice and his past conduct, which led toa lack of credibility and made it difficult forthe Committee to accept much of hisevidence. Mr Toukhi also failed to displaysufficient insight in relation to both his clinicaland behavioural deficiencies and the needto address these.

Whilst the General Dental Council had acceptedthat Mr Toukhi had fulfilled the statutoryrequirements for continuing professionaldevelopment (CPD), the Committee wasconcerned that the CPD he undertook did notaddress any of the clinical concerns highlightedby the previous Committee, such asinappropriate prescribing, poor record keeping inrelation to prescribing and communication skills.

Furthermore, during the hearing Mr Toukhidenied that he had any deficiencies in this regardand said that he did not need to adjust orchange his knowledge. The Committee foundthat Mr Toukhi had failed to satisfy it that he wasfit to practise as a dentist and that he was ofgood character.

RAZA, Haider (Registration number 69231)

Between November 2004 and May 2006, MrRaza prescribed diamorphine for patient A on 14occasions in connection with the provision ofbone fide dental treatment. The Committeefound however, that his prescribing extendedbeyond an area in which he was professionallycompetent and was not in the patient’s bestinterests. Mr Raza had naïvely allowed himself tobe guided by patient A rather than by obtainingappropriate expert advice or by consultation withthe patient’s general medical practitioner. MrRaza also failed to keep adequate records ofboth the patient’s medical history and of sixoccasions on which he prescribed diamorphine.He was found guilty of serious professionalmisconduct.

The Committee took into consideration that inprescribing for patient A Mr Raza followed apreviously established practice protocol and notonly recorded that there was discussion with the

patient about his medication and condition, butalso recorded his efforts to find alternatives topharmacological pain relief. The Committee alsoaccepted evidence that Mr Raza photocopiedthe diamorphine prescriptions, that there was amedical history recorded on the front of thechart and that these had subsequently beenmislaid or destroyed. The Committee also notedthat Patient A remained very positive about MrRaza’s clinical care.

From an early stage Mr Raza apologised andadmitted that his behaviour was inappropriateand inadequate. He had made changes to thegovernance of his practice and in particular hadupgraded practice protocols in relation to takingmedical histories and to prescribing for patients.

The Committee determined that it was sufficientto conclude the case with an admonition andwithout making a direction which affected MrRaza’s registration.

SHAH, Mohamed (Registration number 75210)

During March 2006 Mr Shah had treated apatient by removing eight amalgam fillings andreplacing them with ceramic fillings whereas thepatient had only consented to the removal andreplacement of one filling. Mr Shah failed toprovide a written treatment plan or to provide anestimate of the cost of such treatment, and sofailed to obtain the consent of the patient to thecourse of treatment. Furthermore, Mr Shah failedto have in place an adequate complaintsprocedure and failed to respond to the patient’scomplaint regarding this treatment.Consequently the Committee found Mr Shah’sfitness to practise to be impaired.

The Committee found no criticisms of thestandard of the treatment itself and found thatthe treatment was not carried out with themotive of coercing money from the patient. TheCommittee also recognised that a complaintwas received from only one patient, butregarded the absence of an adequatecomplaints procedure as an indication of asubstantial problem within the management ofthe practice.

The Committee determined that the appropriateand proportionate sanction was for Mr Shah’sregistration to be subject to the followingconditions for a period of three years:

1. That he work with a Postgraduate DentalDeanery, or other appropriate professional bodyapproved by the Registrar of the General DentalCouncil, to formulate, within three months, aPersonal Development Plan specifically designedto address the following areas of his practice:

■ patient consent;■ treatment planning; and■ complaints handling.

2. To provide evidence of his engagement inaudit activities in each of those three areas ofpractice to the Registrar of the General Dental

winter 2007-2008



Council by 1 March 2008 and thereafter atintervals of not longer than six months.

3. Within three months, to take the steps inrelation to complaints handling set out below:

i) To provide the Registrar of the GeneralDental Council with a detailed ComplaintsHandling Procedure designed to informpatients of how to pursue a complaint. Thisprocedure must include a reference to theavailability and full contact details of theexternal complaints resolution service of theDental Complaints Service.

ii) A detailed Complaints Handling Proceduremust be available to all of the patients of hispractice.

iii) The leaflets, website and posters in thepractice waiting rooms must containsufficient information to enable patients toobtain a copy of the detailed ComplaintsHandling Procedure, including the referenceto the availability and full contact details ofthe external complaints resolution service ofthe Dental Complaints Service.

iv) The letters used by the practice inresponding to complaints must contain thereference to the availability and full contactdetails of the external complaints resolutionservice of the Dental Complaints Service.

When concluding the case, the Committeemade it clear to Mr Shah that at a resumedhearing the Committee could then give adirection varying, revoking or adding to thoseconditions, or could suspend his registration ifthey considered it necessary.

New rules, old rules… On 31 July 2006, we introduced new fitnessto practise procedures. Some of the casesreported in this Gazette have been heardunder the new procedure rules, while others(those initiated before 31 July 2006) havebeen heard under the old rules. In new rulescases, the Professional Conduct Committeehas to consider if the respondent’s fitness topractise is impaired. If they find that it is, they can:

■ Strike them off the register; ■ Suspend them; ■ Set restrictions (‘conditions’) on their

registration; or ■ Reprimand them.

They can also refer the case to the Health orProfessional Performance Committee.

What are ‘conditions’?

Conditions amount to a restriction onregistration. Under the new rules, aCommittee may impose conditions on arespondent if they deem it a sanction thatmight properly address any identifiedshortcomings that pose a risk to the public.

Such conditions must be realistic andachievable.

Committees must be mindful of guidance onwhat situations are appropriate for conditionsand how to structure them. For example,Committees are urged to consider theregistrant’s capacity for compliance as thisgives an indication of integrity and insight andthey are asked to formulate conditions in sucha way that compliance can be verifiedobjectively.

The types of cases in which conditions havebeen imposed are those where therespondent’s errors were limited and related tospecific shortcomings that could beaddressed by putting structured measures inplace. Committees will always requirerespondents to provide certificates, reports orother documentation demonstrating that theconditions have been complied with.

Restoration under the new rules

All applications for restoration are now dealtwith under the new rules.

The new rules require the GDC case presenterto inform the Committee of the background tothe case, any relevant evidence previouslyconsidered, any relevant evidence notpreviously put to the Committee and makesubmissions on the matters being considered.

The respondent and/or their representative areentitled to present relevant evidence on whichthey intend to rely and make submissions onthe matters being considered.

Generally, a restoration hearing is not theappropriate forum for a respondent to attemptto refute allegations that were found provedagainst them at the original substantivehearing. If such attempts are made, it may wellbe seen by the Committee as an indication ofa lack of insight on the part of the applicantand may hamper attempts to be restored.

Individual professionalresponsibilityThe GDC Guidance, Standards for DentalProfessionals, states that a dental professionalmust be familiar with and understand currentstandards and relevant guidelines.

Principles of Dental Team Working, atparagraphs 3.1 and 3.2 states that dentalprofessionals are accountable for thetreatment and processes undertaken by themand those that they manage.

The general message that dental professionalsshould take on board is the importance oftaking full responsibility for their own actionsand omissions as well as actions andomissions by others that they are in charge of.Furthermore, it is up to individuals fully toinform themselves of the scope of thisresponsibility.

In a number of recent cases, it has beenapparent that respondents have beenunfamiliar with the current ethical guidance,and Committees have been moved to stressthe importance of these principles. They havehighlighted that ignorance will not be anacceptable reason for non-compliance.

Case concludedNo further action by the Council aboutthis particular offence or misconduct.

Admonishment If the allegations have been found provedand have amounted to a finding ofmisconduct, the Committee may decidenot to suspend or erase the dentalprofessional but to conclude the casewith a public admonishment. Registrationis not affected.

Postponed judgement The misconduct or conviction issufficiently serious for the Committee todecide that it is not appropriate toconclude the case or give anadmonishment. The Committeepostpones its decision for up to twelvemonths. At the end of that period theregistrant supplies testimonials relating tothe intervening period, and theCommittee considers whether thesedemonstrate reform.

Referred to Health Committee If the Committee concludes that theevidence raises the question that thedentist's fitness to practise might beseriously impaired by their physical ormental condition, it can refer the matterto the Health Committee.

Immediate suspension If the Committee suspends or erases adentist it may be necessary for theprotection of the public, or in the bestinterests of the dentist, to suspend his orher registration immediately.

Glossary ofterms

Published byGeneral Dental Council, 37 Wimpole Street, London W1G 8DQ Tel: 0845 222 4141 Fax: 020 7224 3294 Minicom: 18001 020 7887 3800 (via Typetalk) Email: [email protected] Website: www.gdc-uk.orgIf you would like a large print version of this newsletter, please contact [email protected] or telephone 020 7009 2784

PAYING THE ARF BY DIRECT DEBITEach year a small number of registrants are removed from our registers for non payment of the annual retention fee (ARF). To ensure you do not fall into this group, we encourage you to sign up to pay your ARF by Direct Debit.

If you would like to pay your 2009 fee by Direct Debit, you need to complete and return a mandate form to us by 31 October 2008.You can download one from our website or get in touch with us and we will send one to you.

What are the benefits of paying by Direct Debit?1. Direct Debit is the easiest and most convenient way to pay. Once you’ve set up a Direct Debit, there are no more cheques to write

and no more worry about meeting payment deadlines. 2. Payments by Direct Debit can help us keep the ARF as low as possible. We pay significantly less for a Direct Debit payment to be

processed than we do for other types of payment. If all registrants paid by Direct Debit, we’d make big savings on our administrationcosts. Savings which we would take into account when we review the ARF.

For a Direct Debit mandate form: Visit: www.gdc-uk.org (go into the ARF page of the ‘Current registrant’ section)Email: [email protected]: 020 7009 2720

SOME DATES FOR THE DIARY…For more details of any of these meetings, hearings and events, pleasevisit the event sections of our website.

diary of events

Council meetingsOur Council meetings are open to the public.Each meeting begins with a public questionand answer session. More information,including the agenda and papers, is availableon our website in advance of each meeting.We also publish a summary of the decisionsmade by the Council on our websitefollowing the meeting.

Council meeting dates in 2007:

■ 6 December (London)

Council meeting dates in 2008:

■ 5 March (London)

■ 5 June (London)

■ 3 September (Belfast)

■ 3 December (London)

Fitness to practise hearingsFor a list of dates and details of publichearings into allegations against dentalprofessionals, please visit our website orcontact our Hearings Team:

Phone: 020 7887 3821Email: [email protected]

Outcomes of recent hearings are availableon our website.

Out and aboutWe're taking part in the following dentalevents over the next few months. We lookforward to meeting as many of you aspossible at these events. Come and hearthe latest GDC news, share your viewsand get your questions answered.

■ 1-3 May - British DentalAssociation Conference andExhibition 2008, Manchester

Find us at Stand C42

■ 9-10 May - Dental TechnologyShow 2008, Ricoh Arena, Coventry

Find us at Stand E20

We will be providing a DCPregistration application checking and advice service at both of these events.

Designed and produced by GSBA Ltd 01323 722933 on environmentally friendly, 100% chlorine free bleached pulp paper

winter 2007-2008 gdc gazette a priority. having successfully held the council meeting in edinburgh...

Documents