A NEW consultation on the revision of existing scope of practice guidance has been launched by the General Dental Council with the aim of making it “less prescriptive and more adaptable”.
The GDC says the proposed changes aim to better support dental professionals to use their professional judgement to make decisions in the interest of their patients – and also to help professionals understand the boundaries of other roles within the dental team and promote team-working that delivers best patient care.
The regulator states that proposals will not change the scope of practice of any of the dental professions but will provide clear boundaries around roles, while also enabling those who are trained, competent and indemnified to expand their personal scope of practice within those boundaries, safely and effectively.
The GDC conducted a review of the current guidance and concluded that it is no longer being used as originally intended and is being widely interpreted as a “comprehensive, rather than indicative, list of tasks”.
It believes this interpretation can limit and restrict a professional’s practice and can impact patient care.
Stefan Czerniawski, GDC Executive Director, Strategy, said: “We have developed the updated Scope of Practice guidance after wide-ranging engagement with stakeholders and patients.
“We will continue this engagement during the consultation period, and we want to hear different views on the proposals. We think this is the right way forward and welcome suggestions for further improvement.”
The consultation closes on 11 May 2023 and can be accessed here.
This page was correct at the time of publication. Any guidance is intended as general guidance for members only. If you are a member and need specific advice relating to your own circumstances, please contact one of our advisers.
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