Sir, the requirement for a consultant oral and maxillofacial (OMF) surgeon to be concurrently registered with the GDC and the GMC ceased in April 2008.1 Our specialty is now recognised as a medical specialty and removing the long-standing requirement for dual registration was seen as the only logical mechanism acceptable to the GDC to prevent OMF surgeons being required to revalidate twice.2 This has, however, given rise to an unfortunate anomaly with regards to the employment of temporary registered dentists within our departments. The temporary registered dentist must have his/her temporary registration with the GDC countersigned by the supervising consultant, who in turn must be currently registered with the GDC.3

It has therefore become incumbent upon the supervising consultant to re-register with the GDC in order to employ the temporary registered dentist. This requires not just the registration fee of £438.00 but also a restoration fee of £110.00. The NHS as the employer has declared that they are not responsible for this payment.

The OMF consultant therefore, yet again, has to pay for dual registration and the GDC would appear to be receiving two registration payments and a restoration fee for the temporary registration of one person. The consultant surgeon would also be expected to comply and keep evidence of the CPD requirements of the GDC. I believe the financial penalty and CPD requirements burdened upon the consultant to be wholly unreasonable. I also believe that the necessity for a consultant to potentially pay £548.00 may well be enough incentive to give rise to actual or perceived bias during an open and equal opportunity interview. The employment issues alone necessitate an urgent re-evaluation of this situation. Unfortunately the GDC has declared no intention of reviewing this policy and I believe the British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons needs to approach the GDC at the earliest opportunity to resolve this matter.