The General Dental Council (GDC) has welcomed the findings of an independent inquiry which rejects that the GDC failed in its statutory duties.

The inquiry by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) for Health and Social Care was conducted in response to concerns raised by the former GDC Chair, Alison Lockyer, who stepped down in May 2011. The PSA's report was published on its website on 11 February 2013.

The report rejects the allegations made against the GDC and its staff. It found that, while there were weaknesses in the GDC's governance and fitness to practise processes during 2009 to early 2011, the GDC did not fail patients then, and is on the right track now.

Serious concerns

In the days following the publication of the report, the British Dental Association (BDA) said that the PSA report raises serious concerns about the GDC's performance in recent years. The BDA pointed out that the report makes significant criticisms about the handling of the disciplinary process surrounding the departure of Dr Lockyer from the GDC, including the lack of a complainant or complaint against her, the lack of an established process for dealing with the situation and flaws in the way that the matter was dealt with.

Considerable comfort

Dr Alison Lockyer released a statement saying that she was 'pleased that a light has been shone on some of the problems to which I was seeking to draw attention and if, as a result of this, the task of my successors is easier, I can take considerable comfort from that.'

'It is nevertheless disappointing that the opportunity for a full investigation has been missed and the report confines itself to the issues specified by the Department of Health.'

Although the investigation conducted by the PSA was very tightly subscribed, the report is 250 pages long and took 21 months to complete.

Kevin Lewis, Dental Director of Dental Protection, said that 'clearly, the GDC is in a better place now than it was during the turbulent period which may have contributed in part to the events that are chronicled by this report. We welcome [...] the spirit in which the GDC has acknowledged that all was not well when we first voiced our own concerns. Ultimately it is dental registrants who pay the price when the GDC gets it wrong'

Astonished

On Valentine's Day the PSA released a statement rejecting the BDA's interpretation of its report: 'The Authority's report in fact says that the GDC was and is fulfilling its statutory functions, that its performance is improving and that none of the actions of its individual council members ought to be drawn to the attention of the Privy Council'. PSA Chief Executive, Harry Cayton, said that he was astonished that the BDA should choose to ignore the conclusions of their report and misrepresent its content, and urged people to read the report for themselves.

www.professionalstandards.org.uk/regulators/overseeing-regulators/special-reviews-and-investigations/special-reviews-and-investigations-detail?id=bb3693d3-e343-427f-8ed3-ee907a41c12e