​With just one week to go to the deadline for dental care professionals (DCPs) to make their annual or end-of-cycle CPD statement, the General Dental Council today revealed there are still more than 5,000 yet to make their submission.

Since the introduction of Enhanced CPD in 2018, all registered dental professionals must make an annual statement, which entails confirming how many hours of CPD have been completed in the previous 12 months (even where that figure is ‘zero’) and making a declaration that the CPD completed is relevant to their field of practice, a CPD record including a personal development plan has been kept, and the statement is full and accurate.

With the deadline of 28 August 2019 fast approaching for DCPs, the regulator is calling for all those yet to make annual or end-of-cycle statement to do so as soon as possible.

GDC Executive Director, Registration and Corporate Resources, Gurvinder Soomal, said: 'This is the first time that the annual statement has been a requirement for DCPs and with so many yet to make their submission, we’re calling on professionals and employers alike to ensure that no one loses their license to practise through non-compliance. If anyone is avoiding making the statement due to concerns over insufficient CPD hours, this is a reminder that a ‘zero hours’ statement can be made, as long as the minimum number of required hours are made-up over the next 12 months.'

The regulator is keen to highlight that neglecting to make an annual statement could lead to dental care professionals falling off the register and, therefore, no longer being able to practise in the UK. The quickest and easiest way to make the annual statement is through eGDC, and it takes just five minutes to set up an account.

The General Dental Council provides further guidance and information about Enhanced CPD on its website.

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