On 17 October 2014 the British Dental Association (BDA) announced that it has initiated judicial review proceedings against the General Dental Council (GDC).

The GDC, which has faced heavy criticism from the Professional Standards Authority on the way it deals with patient complaints, has recently announced its desire to increase the professional fees paid by dentists by 64%. The BDA has accused the GDC of failing to provide clear evidence of the policy or business case that have underpinned the mooted fee rise – rendering the regulator's case unlawful.

Mick Armstrong, Chair of the BDA's Principal Executive Committee, said: 'We are being asked to pay the price for our regulator's mismanagement, and we won't stand for it. We are determined to fight for fair fees and decent regulation. We have given the GDC every opportunity to demonstrate they have built a reasoned, evidenced and lawful case for this fee hike. They have chosen not to respond, and now we will leave it to the courts to decide'.

GDC plans would see dentists fees rise from £576 to £945 – the highest fee charged by any comparable healthcare regulator, and they will have no choice but to pay, as they must be registered with the GDC in order for them to practise lawfully.

GDC pledges openness and honesty

The GDC is among eight UK professional healthcare regulators to publish a joint statement, setting out their commitment to a duty of candour for healthcare professionals, and pledging to do more to put openness and honesty at the heart of healthcare.

This joint statement is a milestone in ensuring universality across all the professions. This common duty makes clear to patients what they can and should expect of those who treat them and give them confidence that, should professionals fall short of those expectations, regulators will respond accordingly.

The full statement on 'Openness and honesty - the professional duty of candour' can be read at: http://image.s4.exct.net/lib/fe921570706d027d7d/m/1/Joint+statement+on+candour +13+Oct+2014.pdf.

Dental professionals understand their ethical duty

The Dental Defence Union (DDU), in responding to the joint statement by eight UK health regulators on the importance of being open and honest with patients, said that dental professionals understand that candour is central to their relationship with their patient.

Rupert Hoppenbrouwers, Head of the DDU, said: 'While we welcome the emphasis being placed on candour by the GDC and other regulators, our experience is that dental professionals overwhelmingly understand their longstanding ethical duty to be open and honest with patients.

'They appreciate that having an open dialogue with patients is not something to be afraid of. When something goes wrong, dental professionals tell us time and again that apologising early to the patient or their family can help resolve a complaint more quickly or prevent one altogether - so it's to everybody's advantage to be open and honest from the outset.'