Fitness to practise investigations lasting up to nine years raise concern across dental sector

GDPUK reported that fitness to practise investigations within the General Dental Council (GDC) are continuing to run for extraordinarily long periods, with some cases stretching up to nine years. The publication highlighted new figures released through a Freedom of Information request, showing one investigation concluding in 2025 after 474 weeks — nine years and one month — and another ending in 2024 after 426 weeks, or eight years and two months.

The data also showed that in 2025, 375 completed cases had lasted at least a year, with the average investigation length reaching 51 weeks. Experts told GDPUK that these prolonged timelines place extraordinary pressure on dental professionals, affecting both their professional practice and personal wellbeing.

Theresa Thorp, the GDC’s executive director of regulation, acknowledged that cases were “too long”, “overly complex”, and were contributing to mistrust and fear among registrants. While the regulator said some delays stem from external factors — including NHS counter-fraud inquiries, criminal proceedings, legal challenges, translation requirements, and instances where registrants do not engage — dental leaders stressed that the impact on clinicians is severe.

Martin Skipper of the LDC Confederation told GDPUK that the uncertainty created by multi‑year investigations is “just extraordinary”, urging the GDC to provide more supportive communication throughout the process. Eddie Crouch, chair of the British Dental Association, warned that such prolonged stress can compromise clinicians’ ability to provide safe care, noting that practitioners may attend work daily while still unsure of the outcome of long‑running complaints.

Dr Simon Thackeray, president of the British Association of Private Dentistry, said some cases lasting several years ultimately result in no case to answer, leaving registrants who faced years of pressure without any finding against them. He expressed sympathy for the GDC’s attempts to operate within “clunky, outdated legislation”.

The GDC does not set a target for the total duration of fitness to practise investigations, including hearings. It aims to complete the investigation stage within seven months for 75% of cases, though the figures reported by GDPUK show many cases far exceed this.

A GDC spokesperson told GDPUK that the regulator remains focused on reducing delays and improving the experience for all involved, “without compromising patient safety”.