Steps towards reform to the legislation that underpins the UK’s healthcare regulators were taken on February 17, 2022, as the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) sets out the direction for future reforms. The General Dental Council (GDC) welcomes this important milestone but is extremely disappointed by the timetable.

The government first consulted on reforms to healthcare professional regulation in 2017 and again in 2021, setting out proposals for a new consistent and modernised framework. The consultation outcomes recognise the need to update legislation that has not been significantly reformed for decades but set out an approach which means the GDC will not see full reform of its legalisation for years to come.

The GDC has long pushed for a flexible and modernised regulatory framework and it is good to see that progress is now being made. But the regulator is frustrated by the absence of any clear timetable for reform.

Alongside the 2021 consultation results, the DHSC released proposals for regulations for the General Medical Council (GMC) that will apply to physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs). These will be considered as a template for future reform for other regulators, including the GDC.

The GDC urges stakeholders to review the outcomes of the 2021 consultation and to consider the proposed framework for the two new associate titles to be regulated by the GMC. While it may be challenging to see how the proposal will apply to dentistry, close examination and views from stakeholders will help to shape future reform programme proposals for the GDC.

In the absence of proposals for wider reforms, the GDC will be focused on changes to the international registration process and making performance improvements in fitness to practise, as set out in its Corporate Strategy 2023–2025.

Stefan Czerniawski, GDC Executive Director, Strategy, said, “We welcome the publication of the government’s proposals for the next steps in regulatory reform. But we are extremely disappointed by the timetable set out by DHSC, as fundamental reform of our legislation still appears to be years away at best. The current legislative framework is a real barrier to efficient, effective and proportionate regulation and the need for reform is urgent.

“We think the reform programme needs to go faster, in the interests of the public and patients, and of the dental professionals we regulate."

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