Dentistry Online reported that Rashpal Singh Mondair, a former chair of the GDC committee, was slapped with a six-month immediate suspension after a hearing into the racist comments.

This will be followed by a review.

On 1 August 2018, he made comments along the lines of: ‘This is going to sound racist but…’ adding that he would not want to be treated by a dentist from Africa. He was also acting as a practice committee member at the time.

In response to questions relating to the Rashpal Mondair fitness to practise case, a spokesperson for the General Dental Council said:

“We welcome the decision of the independent fitness to practise panel to suspend Rashpal Mondair’s registration as a dentist.

“And we appreciate the BDA’s recognition that we have taken the right course of action in this case; both in acting immediately to remove the individual from acting as a panel member, and in progressing the fitness to practise investigation.

“Of course, we also agree that racism has absolutely no place in dentistry. Including in how the professions are regulated.

“The system has assurance mechanisms in place to ensure that the process operates fairly.

“Independent fitness to practise panels are always made up of three people. No one panellist has undue influence over the others.

“Panellists are scrutinised at selection, receive diversity and unconscious bias training at induction and then again each year.

“Fitness to practise outcomes are also scrutinised in multiple ways. Both internally at the GDC and through external audit and review.”

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