GDC considers revalidation for dentists

The General Dental Council (GDC) is seeking views on its proposals for the revalidation of dentists.

Revalidation means showing you continue to meet the standards set by the GDC to stay on its registers.

This is an early opportunity to contribute your views on any aspect of the GDC's proposed revalidation process. A more formal consultation will follow before the details of the scheme are finalised.


Under the proposals, dentists will need to provide evidence in four key areas – professionalism, clinical, management and leadership, and communication. Evidence might include clinical audit, significant event analysis, patient surveys, and personal and practice development plans.
GDC President Hew Mathewson said: ‘We want revalidation to be as simple and flexible as possible, so we are committed to using existing and future quality assurance systems and locally gathered evidence.'
He added: ‘The first cycle of revalidation for dentists is not expected to start until 2011. By that time we should have thoroughly tested the system that is finally introduced.
‘Revalidation is about ensuring dentists continue to meet the standards expected of them throughout their careers. Patients can have even more confidence that their dentist is performing to a high standard and that those standards are being set and overseen by a regulatory authority – the GDC.'
A series of pilots are due to begin throughout the UK in early 2009. These will help the GDC assess how long it will take dentists to gather evidence required to revalidate, how easily it can be provided and how useful it is in the revalidation process.
About 100 dentists will participate in each pilot, and the pilots are likely to be run in Scotland and England with both NHS and independent dentists.
Once revalidation is up and running for dentists, the GDC will look at introducing a system for other groups of dental professionals on its registers.
For more information and to download the current proposals, please visit www.gdc-uk.org/revalidation. The GDC website will be updated as revalidation is developed.



 Posted on : Wed 22nd - Oct - 2008