Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Professional Standards Authority's Periodic review, GDC-2021/2022, what discussions his Department has had with the General Dental Council to help ensure the Council meets all 18 standards in that review.

The Department is aware of the findings of the Professional Standards Authority’s (PSA) 2020/21 review of the performance of the General Dental Council (GDC) and notes that the GDC is putting measures in place to ensure it meets the PSA’s 18 Standards of Good Regulation in its next review. The Department welcomes the action that the GDC is taking and meets with it regularly to discuss a range of issues relevant to its work.

The Department is reforming the regulatory frameworks of the healthcare professional regulators to enable them to respond to changes in the health and care workforce whilst maintaining public protection. Officials are working with the regulators on legislative changes to allow greater flexibility to modernise fitness to practise processes and improve efficiency.