The General Dental Council (GDC) have 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.
Under the new policy, dental professionals will retain the right to request an in-person hearing for any reason, which, the GDC said “will be granted in most cases”, saying:
“We also maintain 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.
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.”
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