Bill Moyes reappointed GDC chair

BILL Moyes has been reappointed as Chair of the General Dental Council.

He will continue in the post for a further four years, until September 2021.

This means Mr Moyes will oversee the implementation of the regulator’s new three-year strategy, announced last month, which promises to place a greater emphasis on “supporting and empowering the profession”. It also aims for the regulatory system “to work better to stop things going wrong, rather than reacting after harm has been done”.        

GDC chief executive Ian Brack welcomed the reappointment.

He said: “Under Bill's leadership, the Council has not shied from taking difficult decisions and has been willing to think radically about the way the GDC works in pursuit of our ambition to become a high-performing, effective regulator. That focus and determination is delivering results and has laid a solid foundation for further improvements.”

Mr Moyes said he was “delighted” to remain as Chair, adding that this was “an exciting time for the organisation” as it presses ahead with reforms.

"While there are challenges which lie ahead, there is a real opportunity for the sector to work together to make the system of regulation work better for patients, and remain fair for dental professionals so that public confidence in dental services is strengthened,” he said.

Last February Mr Moyes announced the GDC’s fitness to practise function had been “overhauled” and significant changes made to its leadership, processes and organisational culture following an investigation by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) into their handling of a whistleblowing incident in 2013.

As part of the changes, improvements were made to staff training and case examiners were brought in to assess GDC complaints in November.