The General Dental Council (GDC) will never be the same again. The long awaited, much needed reform of the Council is at last beyond the point of no return. This year the Council will change fundamentally, becoming smaller, more strategic and able to embrace the principles of modern regulation of healthcare. Along with the introduction of mandatory continuing professional development, the reconstitution of the Council forms the first phase of the Council's reform programme.
The second phase of the programme, to include the modernisation of the Council's fitness to practise arrangements and the establishment of the framework for the registration of professionals complementary to dentistry (PCDs) is well underway. Work has begun on the drafting of the necessary legislation following consultation and recent decisions of the Council. These developments will be a triumph after many years of debate, expectation and frustration over lack of definitive action.
