GDC publishes stakeholder perceptions research findings
There have modest improvements in how dental professionals view the regulator.
The General Dental Council (GDC) today published the findings from its Stakeholder Survey 2023, showing both the progress made in recent years and areas where further improvements are needed to improve people’s views and experience of the GDC.
The independent study conducted by YouGov explores perceptions of the dental regulator among dental professionals, students and trainees, and key stakeholders.
The latest survey shows modest improvements in how dental professionals view the regulator since 2020, with positive perceptions increasing from 16% to 20%, and negative views dropping from 65% to 56%. Dental students generally held more favourable opinions than other groups, with 26% expressing a positive view of the GDC.
We know there is more we need to do to reduce the stress of fitness to practise cases.
Stefan Czerniawski
Whilst registrants associated the GDC with many of the terms linked to the GDC’s corporate strategy, such as professional and relevant – 50% and 44% respectively, other common associations included ‘fear’ and ‘unrepresentative’, both 46%. There was a positive shift, with registrants less likely to see the GDC as unrepresentative than in 2020, down to 46% from 54%.
Among students, fear was the most commonly associated word at just over half (53%) with knowledgeable second (41%). Other stakeholders most commonly associated the GDC with being unrepresentative (40%), followed by aggressive and defensive (both 34%).
The study, which combined quantitative and qualitative methods, gathered responses from more than 3200 registrants, as well as 106 students, and 68 stakeholders. It found strong awareness of the GDC’s core functions, with 87% of respondents recognising its role in maintaining the dental register and 78% aware of its fitness to practise (FtP) responsibilities.
The FtP process is a key factor influencing perceptions of the GDC and driving registrants’ fear. This fear often stems from hearing about others’ experiences, fostering anxiety about regulatory intervention which affects how care is delivered.
The GDC recognises that dental professionals who fear arbitrary or disproportionate actions may practise defensively, prioritise excessive record-keeping, or limit their scope of practice — behaviours that do not serve patients’ interests and can ultimately reduce both the quality and quantity of care.
Stefan Czerniawski, Executive Director of Strategy at the GDC, said: “It matters that the GDC is trusted by those we regulate, and it will not be trusted if perceptions are dominated by fear. We know there is more we need to do to reduce the stress of fitness to practise cases. We also want to work with others to counter negative perceptions and help dental professionals to understand what we do and how we do it – and demonstrate that we are more interested in supporting high professional standards than in catching people out.”
Improvements to the FtP process include:
- Enhanced communication with updated standard FtP correspondence adopting a more empathetic tone and simplified language, including information on accessing health and wellbeing support for those subject to an investigation.
- Streamlined case assessments through a new initial inquiries process for single clinical practice concerns, significantly reducing assessment stage completion times.
The majority of dental professionals (59%) found GDC communications useful, with email remaining the preferred communication channel, although there was growing reliance on the GDC website.
The GDC will use the findings to continue making meaningful improvements to its processes and communications, strengthening relationships and working with key stakeholders to counter negative perceptions and ensure regulatory processes are better understood and trusted.
The full report on the GDC Stakeholder Survey 2023 is available here.