Regulator launches consultation on revisions to Standards for Education
The will shape the future requirements for all UK programmes seeking GDC registration.
The General Dental Council (GDC) has opened its consultation on proposed revisions to the Standards for Education, which will shape the future requirements for all UK programmes seeking GDC registration.
The regulator said it was committed to ensuring its quality assurance of dental education and training fulfils our primary purpose, to protect patients. The Standards for Education set out the requirements expected of all pre-registration programmes that lead to registration with the GDC.
These Standards are the framework of its quality assurance processes. Providers are expected to meet the Standards, which cover the areas of patient protection, quality evaluation and review, and student assessment.
We want the revised Standards for Education to be clear and accessible for providers, while addressing the evolving needs of the professional groups we regulate.
Manjula Das
The GDC said it would welcome input from stakeholders across the dental education and training sectors in its consultation, which runs until 12:00 on 6 February 2025.
Responses should be submitted via the GDC’s online consultation platform, where a PDF version of the consultation document is also available.
The GDC conducted two stakeholder workshops earlier this year, which helped to inform the development of the draft consultation.
The revised Standards for Education will reflect significant changes in the GDC’s strategic direction in dentistry, demographics, and the wider healthcare ecosystem.
The aim of the review is to simplify requirements, enhance clarity, and introduce new areas relevant to today’s dental education landscape. This update follows the publication of the new Safe Practitioner Framework in 2023, which set foundational expectations for pre-registration education across the UK. The GDC is currently working with education providers on its implementation.
“Providers must be aware of their duty to protect the public, ensuring that patient safety and care are paramount. They must have effective policy and procedures in place for the monitoring and review of their programmes, and student assessment must be reliable and valid,” said Manjula Das, Head of Education and Quality Assurance at the GDC.
“We want the revised Standards for Education to be clear and accessible for providers, while addressing the evolving needs of the professional groups we regulate.”
The GDC has a statutory duty to assure the standard of pre-registration education and training, setting the Standards for Education, learning outcomes, and quality assurance and compliance, including inspections and monitoring for all dentistry and dental care professional education providers in the UK.
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