GDC publishes outcome report on its three-year strategy consultation

he General Dental Council (GDC) has today published the outcome report from the consultation on its three-year strategy, which closed earlier this year. The consultation, which received 79 responses from individuals and organisations, sought views about proposals for how the regulator intends to deliver its broad statutory objectives over the next three years, and the associated costs.

Head of Policy and Research Programme at the GDC, Rebecca Cooper, said:

As with any consultation, a variety of views were expressed, but we are encouraged by the broad support for the direction of travel set out in the strategy, particularly in relation to continued collaborative working with the professions.

The GDC’s new approach to strategy development brings more visibility to the relationship between its regulatory activity and the fees it charges, providing increased transparency.

Work is underway to finalise the strategy, which is due for publication later this year.

  • The GDC’s Corporate Strategy 2020 – 2022 is available online. The consultation is now closed.
  • The proposals set out in strategy were developed in line with the principles established in Clear and certain: a new framework for fee-setting. The first principle of that policy establishes the GDC’s aim to avoid cross subsidy where practicable, and reads: ‘Fee levels should be primarily determined by the cost of regulating each registrant group: We will seek to minimise the ways in which registrants fund regulatory activity that is not generated by them by removing, as far as practicable, cross subsidy between different groups. We will do this by allocating costs, as far as possible, where they fall. Where a degree of cross subsidy is necessary, we will explain this through our policy.’
  • Shifting the balance: a better, fairer system of dental regulation sets out the GDC’s proposals to reform dental regulation. It addresses out how we will work collaboratively with our partners to develop a model of upstream regulation that involves professionals and their regulator working together in the interests of patient safety and public protection. For more information about the Shifting the balance proposals visit gdc-uk.org/about/what-we-do/shifting-the-balance