GDC To Review Policy On Listing Of Additional Qualifications, UK

Main Category: Dentistry
Article Date: 11 Dec 2007 - 1:00 PDT

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At a public meeting on 6 December the GDC agreed in principle to abolish its current system for adding dental professionals' additional qualifications to its registers. Before making any changes, the GDC will consult on the next steps.

For dental professionals who already have additional qualifications listed on the registers there will be no change while the consultation takes place. Dental professionals won't be able to add any additional qualifications in the meantime.

The GDC has been considering the benefit to patients of recording additional qualifications for some time. There were concerns that recognition of additional qualifications implied significant endorsement by the GDC. In addition the policy was inconsistent and unfair to many registrants including those waiting to have qualifications added to the register or dental care professionals for whom there is no formal recognition system.
GDC President Hew Mathewson said:

"Dental professionals should not be discouraged from taking further additional qualifications to improve their practice, they can after all still use any skills learnt in these in their practice.

The GDC has an obligation to ensure that information on the registers is robust and of clear benefit to patients. This consultation will allow us to consider all the issues.

This subject has already generated a lot of discussion and we encourage as many people as possible to let us have their views."

Further information about the consultation will be made available on the GDC website www.gdc-uk.org. In the meantime please contact Moragh Loose, Quality Assurance Policy Manager, on 020 7887 3819 or mailto:mloose@gdc-uk.org with your views.

Since November 2005 the GDC's Registration Committee has not considered applications for the recognition of additional qualifications that were not already on the GDC list of recognised additional qualifications.

General Dental Council

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