The General Dental Council (GDC) has published an update on its equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) strategy. The plans will be in place until 2026.

The council said it is “committed to being an inclusive regulator and EDI is central to our overarching objective of public protection, and to our strategic goals as both a regulator and an employer.”

It said patients must feel safe, receive effective care and be treated respectfully. Equally, dental professionals “need to be equipped to provide this patient-centred care, and to work in an environment in which they are respected and treated fairly by employers, colleagues and patients.”

The regulator plans to incorporate its EDI vision into its corporate strategy development and delivery from 2026. But in the interim, it said this update will act as a ‘bridging’ strategy that “both builds upon the solid foundations laid by the last EDI strategy and paves the way for a new approach”.

Its EDI strategy is based on five objectives:

  1. Develop and support an inclusive profession equipped to provide patient-centred care to every patient.
  2. Identify and remove any barriers that patients, the public, dental professionals, and partners encounter when engaging with us.
  3. Ensure that the GDC's regulatory processes and decisions are fair and consistent and embody the EDI principles.
  4. Make sure that its equality, diversity and inclusion action is guided and informed by insight gained through data, research, and feedback.
  5. Embed an inclusive workplace culture at all levels in the GDC where all staff feel welcomed, integrated, valued and included.

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