The General Dental Council (Constitution of Committees) Rules Order of Council 2009

Removal of members from office

7.—(1) A member shall be removed from office by the Appointments Committee, if—

(a) the member resigns, which a member may do at any time by a notice in writing to the chair of the Appointments Committee;

(b) in the case of—

(i) a member appointed in part because they were a registrant, that member’s registration is voluntarily terminated or otherwise lapses, or

(ii) a member appointed in part because they were a lay person, that member ceases to be a lay person;

(c) the member becomes a person of the type mentioned in rule 6(a), (b) or (e) to (h) (irrespective of whether or not they subsequently cease to be a person of the type mentioned in those provisions);

(d) the member becomes a person of the type mentioned in rule 6(c) or (d);

(e) in the case of a registrant member, the member has become the subject of any investigation or proceedings concerning the member’s fitness to practise by the Council, as a result of which—

(i) the member’s registration in the register is suspended,

(ii) the member’s name is erased from the register, or

(iii) the member’s registration in the register is made conditional upon the member’s compliance with any requirement,

and the proceedings relating to that particular sanction have reached their final outcome;

(f) in the case of a registrant member, the member has become the subject of any investigation or proceedings relating to an allegation that the person’s entry in the register was fraudulently procured or incorrectly made, the final outcome of which is the removal of the person’s entry in the register;

(g) the Appointments Committee is satisfied that the member’s level of attendance at meetings of the Committee falls below a minimum level of attendance acceptable to the Appointments Committee, having regard to—

(i) any recommended minimum levels of attendance that the Council have set in their standing orders, and

(ii) whether or not there were reasonable causes for the member’s absences;

(h) the Appointments Committee is satisfied that the member has failed, without reasonable cause, to undertake satisfactorily the requirements with regard to education and training for members that apply to that member and which the Council have included in their standing orders;

(i) the Appointments Committee is satisfied that the member is no longer able to perform their duties as a member of the Committee because of adverse physical or mental health;

(j) the Appointments Committee is satisfied that the member’s continued membership of the Committee would be liable to undermine public confidence in the regulation of registrants.

(2) A member who becomes, or may be about to become, a person to whom paragraph (1)(b) to (f) applies must notify the Appointments Committee in writing of that fact as soon as the person becomes aware of it.

(3) Any member and any employee or member of the Council may notify the Appointments Committee if they are of the view that the Appointments Committee may need to exercise its functions under paragraph (1).