Jeremy Hunt urged to improve regulation of dentists
The election of a new government must be a watershed moment for regulation of the dentistry profession, according to the General Dental Council.
The organisation that regulates dental professionals has urged the newly reappointed Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, to make improving the effectiveness of professional regulation a priority over the next parliament.
The call builds on work done by the Law Commission, the public body that reviews legislation, to develop a new legislative blueprint that will allow regulators to be more proportionate and responsive to patients’ needs.
GDC would like to see this work put into effect as soon as possible, in order to update the thirty-year-old framework within which they currently operate.
GDC Chair William Moyes welcomed the Health Secretary’s reappointment but stressed the need for urgent reform.
He said: "We extend our congratulations to Jeremy Hunt on his reappointment…
“We have reached a crucial point in the debate on the future of professional regulation and action is now required."
The organisation argues that effective and proportionate regulation demands a system that deals quickly and well with the many complaints that, although not trivial, do not need to be submitted to complex fitness to practise processes that are adversarial in nature.
Such a system, they say, would make the process less stressful for patients and dental professionals alike.
Setting out a clear vision, the GDC adds that at the heart of any professional regulation must be the patient, which is why a fundamental redesign of the regulatory framework must take place to ensure that patient confidence remains high.
