Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-06-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the mechanisms in place for patients to pursue complaints against dentists who leave the country before the General Dental Council can investigate.

Ben Gummer

The General Dental Council (GDC) is an independent statutory body. As the regulator of all registered dentists it has the power to take fitness to practise action, and investigate any complaints made against a dentist who is currently registered with the GDC. The Professional Standards Authority conducts annual reviews of the GDC’s fitness to practise process, to ensure it meets the set professional standards. The Dental Complaints Service, run by the GDC, can assist in resolving complaints raised about private dental treatment provided by all GDC registered dentists in the United Kingdom. Furthermore, if a dentist is registered with the GDC, the GDC has the power to investigate that dentist, whether they are in the UK or not. Therefore, if a dentist is registered with the GDC and was working in the UK but returned to their home country, the GDC would be able to take action. If the dentist does not hold a current registration with the GDC, the GDC cannot investigate further, but an unregistered dentist, whether they have a complaint against them or not, cannot practise in the UK, which ensures UK patient safety, and maintains professional standards.