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Case examiners

Case examiners work to resolve public protection issues that are reported to us.

Case examiners review the details and reach decisions on issues about registered dental professionals, which may affect patient safety or public confidence in the professions we regulate.

Case examiners consider cases when our casework team has gathered all the relevant evidence and information, including comments by the dental professional involved. Each case is considered by two case examiners.

Case examiners decide if there is a real prospect of:

  • the allegations being proved
  • statutory grounds being established
  • a finding that fitness to practise is impaired.

Case examiners can decide to:

  • adjourn the case for further information
  • close the case and take no further action
  • issue a letter of advice
  • issue a warning
  • issue a warning and direct that the warning should be published to the dental professional's entry on the Register
  • ask the registrant to agree a series of undertakings on their registration
  • refer the case to one of the three practice committees for a full inquiry.

Referrals for a full inquiry are made to one of three practice committees at the Dental Professionals Hearings Service. Where case examiners decide that there may be serious or immediate risks to public safety or confidence, they will refer to the Interim Orders Committee to decide if any action is needed to protect the public while an investigation takes place.

The processes and procedures that case examiners follow are set out in the Case examiners guidance manual and the Case examiners indicative outcomes guidance.

Supplementary advice for COVID-19

Supplementary advice was issued to case examiners in January 2021 about the factors to consider when assessing the impact of COVID-19 on a dental professional’s ability to deliver care.

This advice continues to apply in relevant cases.

List of case examiners

We have eight clinical and six lay case examiners.

Clinical Case Examiner

Anita Carter

Anita Carter qualified as a Dental Surgery Assistant in 1989, studied Human Biology at the University of Hertfordshire in 2003, ...

Lay Case Examiner

Caroline Jaggard

Caroline has over 18 years’ experience as a solicitor, working in healthcare regulation in private practice for a range of ...

Clinical Case Examiner

David Brabner

David initially worked in general dental practice after graduating at Bristol University in 1983. He subsequently joined the community dental ...

Investigating Committee, Clinical Case Examiner

Geraldine Birks

Geraldine is a DCP Postgraduate Tutor for Health Education England (HEE), across Yorkshire and the Humber, based at the University ...

Lay Case Examiner

Gillian Seager

Gillian has over 20 years’ experience in professional regulation. Her current roles include case examiner for the General Optical Council ...

Investigating Committee, Lay Case Examiner

Karen Trego

Karen was a Thames Valley Police Officer where she specialised in criminal investigation. As a former Detective Superintendent Senior Investigating ...

Investigating Committee, Clinical Case Examiner

Komal Patel

Komal Patel was appointed as an Investigating Committee dentist member in November 2014. She works part time in general practice ...

Investigating Committee, Clinical Case Examiner

Laura Heskins

Laura Heskins is a dental hygiene therapist working part-time for a Community and Special Care Dentistry Service. She qualified from ...

Lay Case Examiner

Peter Lynn

Peter Lynn has a long background in professional healthcare regulation. He held a number of roles at the General Medical ...

Investigating Committee, Clinical Case Examiner

Rachel Miller

Rachel Miller qualified at Newcastle Dental School in 2001. Following posts in general practice, dental access centres and clinical academia ...

Clinical Case Examiner

Ray McAndrew

Ray McAndrew has been in clinical practice for 37 years. Ray spent nearly 15 years in England and the rest ...

Clinical Case Examiner

Sanhita Subramanian

Sanhita Subramanian qualified at Liverpool Dental School in 1990. After completing vocational training she entered general practice, working in NHS ...

Lay Case Examiner

Tim Bailey

Tim Bailey has over 25 years’ experience in dispute resolution and investigations, specialising mainly in consumer complaints and professional conduct ...

Lay Case Examiner

Wayne Pearson

Wayne has over 30 years’ experience of working in consumer protection and professional services regulatory environments. His experience includes having been ...