The General Dental Council has published its annual Fitness to Practise (FtP) statistical report for 2024.

The report revealed that 18 dental professionals were removed from the register following Practice Committee hearings, representing 0.01 per cent of all registered dental professionals.

The report, which breaks down FtP cases by a range of equality, diversion and inclusion (EDI) characteristics, shows that 1,401 new concerns were received during 2024, representing an eight per cent increase compared to 2023. Of these concerns, 88 per cent were resolved at assessment and case examiner stages, with only 12 per cent progressing to a practice committee hearing.

In total, the regulator completed 1,294 assessments during 2024, a 10 per cent decrease from 2023, reflecting a reduced caseload in this area during the year. The number of Practice Committee initial hearings held also decreased by 18 per cent, from 91 in 2023 to 73 in 2024.

The report shows improvements in case handling efficiency, with 76 per cent of cases meeting assessment timeframe targets in Q4 2024. Additional resources added to the case examiners team in the third quarter of 2024 are expected to clear the backlog of older cases by mid-2025.

Theresa Thorp, executive director of regulation at the GDC, said, "Our annual statistical report provides insights into our fitness to practise processes and outcomes. The data helps us understand trends and patterns in concerns raised about dental professionals, which in turn informs our regulatory approach.

"This year's report continues our commitment to transparency in presenting robust data that can benefit the wider dental sector. We're focused on using this data to help us identify any issues of discrimination, bias or racism in the reporting or referral of concerns to us.”

Source of concerns

The report reveals that patients and members of the public remain the primary source of concerns, accounting for 61 per cent of cases received, up from 59 per cent in 2023. There has been a continued increase in referrals from dental professionals, rising to nine per cent in 2024 from eight per cent in 2023 and six per cent in 2022.

Dental professionals practising in London and the south east of England were more likely to have FtP concerns raised against them. While representing 14 per cent of the register, they accounted for 22 per cent of concerns.

The report also highlighted:

  • Male dentists were significantly more likely to have concerns raised than female dentists, making up 47 per cent of registered dentists but accounting for 65 per cent of concerns.
  • Asian or Asian British dentists faced a disproportionately high number of concerns (34 per cent) relative to their representation on the register (30 per cent).
  • Younger dental professionals were proportionately less likely to have concerns raised against them.
  • Dentists aged 51-60 make up 18 per cent of the register but account for 21 per cent of FtP concerns.
  • Dental care professionals aged 31-40 represent 32 per cent of DCP registrants but account for 38 per cent of concerns in that group.

The report includes detailed timeframe analysis, showing that 54 per cent of investigation stage cases were completed within six months in 2024, compared to 55 per cent in 2023 and 47 per cent in 2022.

For more information visit https://www.gdc-uk.org/docs/default-source/reports-and-publications/gdc-fitness-to-practise-report-2024.pdf?sfvrsn=453eb7d6_1

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