The General Dental Council has announced an intention to amend its Fitness to Practise procedures, with the intention of simplifying and speeding up the process.
This will be done by an improved complaint triage system, obtaining clinical advice at an earlier stage, more meetings and hearings, and the introduction of a case management database. Details of the proposed changes and procedures can be found in the minutes of the Council meeting of 22 September 2011, at item 5 here. The changes have been introduced against a 76% increase in complaints in the five years since the rules were initially introduced, and a need to provide different complaint management structures depending on the nature and severity of the complaint.
