THE Chief Executive of the General Dental Council, Evlynne Gilvarry, is to step down after five years in the role.
She will remain in post until the end of January 2016 at which point an interim Chief Executive will take over until a permanent replacement can be found.
The regulator has faced challenging times in recent years as it worked its way through a backlog of cases exacerbated by a sharp rise in complaints.
In a statement, the regulator said Ms Gilvarry had led the organisation through a “time of substantial change” and that she had “overseen a significant modernisation of the GDC’s systems and processes, equipping it to manage a very substantial growth in workload.”
It went on: “She has developed collaborative working practices with key stakeholders, aimed at improving dental regulation and preventing duplication. She successfully made the case for legislative changes that means, from 2016, the GDC’s fitness to practise processes will be more efficient and effective.”
Last year the GDC announced plans to increase its 2015 annual retention fee (ARF) by 64 per cent, sparking a judicial review in which the regulator was criticised for its handling of the consultation process leading up to the decision.
A report from the Professional Standards Authority last June also highlighted a number of failings, mainly in fitness to practise functions. The regulator then released a statement accepting the “need for improvement” and committing to a programme of improvements.
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