A view from the Chair: public concerns about dentistry, the value of working pattern data, and a consultation on specialist list application routes

Thank you to dental care professionals

Earlier this month the GDC published the latest in a series of research studies on public views and experiences of dental care in the UK. The 2024 survey, like the one in 2022, revealed that respondents have significantly more confidence in the quality of dental care in the UK (62%) than in their ability to access it (32%).

We recognise that there is a need for progress to be made in addressing these systemic issues. Access to timely appointments and the affordability of dental care across the UK must be improved. 

One of the things that can help to inform this is data on the working patterns of the dental team. Following the exercise to ask dentists to provide voluntary data in December last year, the GDC invited dental care professionals to provide information about their working patterns when they renewed their registration in July.

I am pleased to say that 58% of people who renewed their registration did so and I would like to thank dental care professionals for sharing their information with the GDC. The data will now be reviewed and analysed before we share it later this year. I hope that this data from the whole dental team will provide a rich picture of where and how all dental professionals work, which will inform discussions about workforce and access.

Consulting on specialist list application routes

We recently made some changes to the specialist list application process, including bringing the process in-house, with panels of assessors in place to clear the backlog that had built up.

We engaged with stakeholders during this process, which provided an opportunity to listen to some concerns about the current routes to join the specialist lists, particularly the academic and research route and the absence of a route for those with UK qualifications.

We want to do more to make sure that those with the necessary knowledge, skills and experience can get on specialist lists, and that the application process is clear and does not present any unnecessary barriers.

We are proposing a series of amendments to increase transparency, fairness, and consistency and I would ask anyone with an interest to respond to the consultation before midnight on 12 September.

Looking back and looking forward

We published the GDC’s Annual Report and Accounts for 2023 in July, which provides an overview of priorities and progress made last year and explains some of the activities you can expect to see this year.

While we continue our focus on these, we are also looking forward to 2025 and, in the autumn, Council will agree the GDC’s priorities for next year which will, in turn, confirm the ARF.

We are also looking further ahead to the GDC’s corporate strategy for 2026-2028 and Council recently spent time considering our ambitions for dental regulation for the future along with the priorities we have for the GDC’s priorities and performance. It was a very useful day, facilitated by the GDC’s Strategy team, and I am looking forward to seeing the discussions build into developing the corporate strategy, which we will consult on in 2025.