The General Dental Council (GDC) has opened a consultation on proposed revisions to the Standards for Education. This will shape the future requirements for all UK programmes seeking GDC registration.

The review aims to simplify requirements, enhance clarity, and introduce areas relevant to today’s dental education landscape.

The regulator said it is committed to ensuring its quality assurance of dental education and training fulfils its primary purpose - to protect patients. The Standards for Education sets out the requirements expected of all pre-registration programmes that lead to registration with the GDC.

These standards are the framework of its quality assurance processes. Providers are expected to meet the standards, which cover patient protection, quality evaluation and review, and student assessment.

Manjula Das, head of education and quality assurance for the GDC, said, “Providers must be aware of their duty to protect the public, ensuring that patient safety and care are paramount. They must have effective policies and procedures in place for the monitoring and review of their programmes, and student assessment must be reliable and valid.

“We want the revised Standards for Education to be clear and accessible for providers, while addressing the evolving needs of the professional groups we regulate.”

The GDC welcomed input from stakeholders across the dental education and training sectors during its consultation from November 14, 2024, to February 6, 2025.

The regulator conducted two stakeholder workshops in 2024, which helped inform the draft consultation's development.

The revised standards will reflect significant changes in the GDC’s strategic direction in dentistry, demographics, and the wider healthcare ecosystem.

This update follows the publication of the ‘Safe Practitioner Framework’ in 2023, which set foundational expectations for pre-registration education across the UK.

Responses should be submitted via the GDC’s online consultation platform.

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