Dental professional hearings move online
GDC announces move following a public consultation.
The General Dental Council (GDC) has announced that its move to holding dental professional hearings online is to be made permanent following a public consultation.
The move follows the successful implementation of remote hearings in recent years, with data showing that 87% of the 508 substantive hearings held between January 2022 and May 2024 were conducted remotely.
The policy will take effect from 1 April 2025 to allow for guidance for all independent committees at the hearings service to be developed and for monitoring processes to be put in place.
Remote hearings have demonstrated reduced stress, significant cost savings, and improved accessibility for participants.
Stefan Czerniawski
Stefan Czerniawski, Executive Director of Strategy at the GDC, said: “The decision to make remote hearings permanent reflects the clear benefits observed over the past few years. While maintaining our commitment to fairness and public protection, remote hearings have demonstrated reduced stress, significant cost savings, and improved accessibility for participants.
“Dental professionals retain the right to request in-person hearings and the GDC will normally agree with any requests made. We will continue to ensure our processes serve both the public and the profession effectively.”
Guidance for panellists will be adjusted in response to the feedback received through the consultation. A summary of the stakeholder views and the consultation outcomes has been published. The consultation on the format of hearings, conducted between November 2023 and February 2024, found that most respondents agreed that remote hearings were effective.
Respondents tended to agree that there had not been any issues of significant concern relating to remote hearings, and that most requests for an in-person hearing had been accepted. There was some disagreement on how decisions should be made, and whether it was reasonable to ask the dental professional to request an in-person hearing.
Between the start of January 2022 and the end of May 2024 there were 508 substantive hearings held, and of these 87% (443) where remote and 13% (65) in-person or hybrid. Consensus on the format could not be reached in only 25 cases, and of these, only five registrant applications were rejected.
Under the new policy, dental professionals will retain the right to request an in-person hearing for any reason, which will be granted in most cases. The GDC also maintains the right to request in-person proceedings where appropriate. Where there is no consensus between parties, an independent panel will provide direction through a preliminary meeting.
In-person hearings will continue to be available in cases where they are deemed more appropriate, such as in supporting vulnerable participants, accommodating witnesses who are not able to give evidence remotely, and enabling effective presentation and testing of evidence. All hearings will continue to be held in public unless there are specific reasons for private proceedings.