GDC publishes whistleblowing disclosures report
Relative to other healthcare regulators, the GDC received a higher proportion of disclosures.
The General Dental Council (GDC), along with eight other UK healthcare regulators, has published its 2024 annual report on whistleblowing disclosures.
Since 2018, all the healthcare regulators have jointly compiled an annual report to highlight their coordinated effort in working together to highlight and address whistleblowing concerns raised with them.
The aim of the report is to be transparent about how the GDC handle disclosures, to highlight the action taken about these issues, and to help support collaboration across the health sector. “Speaking up to protect others is important, and we want to encourage this,” said the GDC in a statement, “especially when there are serious concerns regarding public safety or confidence in the dental professionals we regulate.”
Speaking up to protect others is important, and we want to encourage this
GDC spokesperson
This year the GDC has received 79 whistleblowing disclosures, compared with 82 last year.
“To improve how we deal with whistleblowing concerns. we enhanced the way we review concerns when we receive them, through our initial assessment process. This has enabled us to better identify whistleblowing complaints earlier,” said the regulator.
During this period, it also reviewed and amended its processes and procedures for the identification of whistleblowers, which included moving the responsibility for whistleblower identification to its In House Legal Advisory Service as part of its role within the GDC’s Initial Assessment Decision Group.
“This enabled us to take an early legal review of all cases which has helped identify whistleblowers and provide better protection and support to them,” it said.
In addition, work is ongoing to amend its initial concern reporting webform to allow individuals raising concerns to self-identify as whistleblowers. The report also highlights that, relative to other healthcare regulators, the GDC received a higher proportion of disclosures in relation to the size of its register.
“This is because most dentistry is provided in a primary care setting and outside the more robust clinical governance frameworks that characterise some other forms of healthcare and may mean that alternative disclosure routes are less present in dentistry,” said the regulator.
The whistleblowing disclosures report 2024 is published jointly by the GDC with the General Chiropractic Council, General Medical Council, General Optical Council, General Osteopathic Council, General Pharmaceutical Council, Health and Care Professions Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council and Social Work England.
You can read more on the definition of a whistleblower, find out how more about how to raise a concern if you work in dentistry, and download the Whistleblowing disclosures report 2024.