In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the General Dental Council (GDC) says that it will look sympathetically at the circumstances of any registrant who has a shortfall in their continuing professional development (CPD) declaration this year. The regulator has stated that nobody will be removed from the register because of a lack of access to CPD during the crisis period. For queries or concerns please email cenquiries@gdc-uk.org.

Thousands of students will have been due to complete their professional training over the coming months and then to register with the GDC. Teaching and assessment are being severely disrupted, but the GDC has been working with education providers to ensure that as many students as possible can still have a smooth transition into practice. A statement has been published on the GDC website and includes relevant contact details: https://bit.ly/2QT8lqA.

Many will have seen the appeals to doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals whose registration has lapsed to return to work, and the GDC has been asked whether similar arrangements will be made for dental professionals. As things currently stand, the only legal route back onto the register is by individual restoration: https://bit.ly/2Jn1qBR.

Almost all fitness to practise hearings have been postponed. The GDC aims to run urgent hearings remotely whenever possible. It will look to relist postponed hearings when safe and appropriate.