The General Dental Council (Continuing Professional Development) (Dentists and Dental Care Professionals) Rules Order of Council 2017

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order approves the General Dental Council (Continuing Professional Development) (Dentists and Dental Care Professionals) Rules 2017, set out in the Schedule to the Order, regarding the continuing professional development (‘CPD’) of registered dentists and dental care professionals (excluding visiting dentists and visiting dental care professionals from relevant European States) (‘practitioners’).

Rule 2 requires that all practitioners must undertake a minimum number of hours of CPD, as set out in the rules, and prescribes certain conditions to be satisfied in order for the CPD to be counted towards the minimum requirement.

Rule 3 requires practitioners to keep a CPD record of the information set out in that rule and to retain the CPD record for 5 years after the CPD cycle has finished.

Rule 4 requires practitioners to submit an annual CPD statement which conforms to the requirements set out in that rule.

Rule 5 enables the registrar to send the practitioner a notice requiring the practitioner to submit a CPD record and/or any other documents or information which the registrar considers relevant for their assessment of whether a practitioner has complied with these rules.

Rule 6 enables the registrar to send a notice to the practitioner where the registrar is not satisfied that a practitioner has complied with the CPD requirement or kept an up-to-date CPD record. The notice must give the reasons why the registrar is not satisfied as to compliance and must invite the practitioner to make written representations or submit written evidence within 28 days of the notice. The notice must also state that if the registrar remains not satisfied that the practitioner has met the requirements of the rules after considering the practitioner's response, or if the practitioner does not respond to the notice, the dentist may be erased from the register or, in the case of a dental care professional, any of the titles under which the dental care professional is registered in the dental care professionals register.

Rule 7 enables the registrar to send a notice to the practitioner if a practitioner fails to submit an annual CPD statement (as required under rule 4) or submit the whole or part of a CPD record or other documents (as required under rule 5). The notice must set out the requirements with which the practitioner has failed to comply and specify a date, not less than 28 days after the date on which the notice is sent, by which the practitioner must comply. The notice must also state that if, by the date specified in the notice, the practitioner does not comply with the notice, the dentist's name may be erased from the register or, in the case of a dental care professional, that professional's name may be erased from any of the titles under which the dental care professional is registered in the dental care professionals register.

Rule 8 sets out the circumstances in which a practitioner may be erased from the dentists register or dental care professionals register for non-compliance with these rules.

Rule 9 enables a practitioner who has not complied with the CPD requirement for the CPD cycle as set out in rule 2 to apply to the registrar for additional time to complete the outstanding CPD. A maximum time of 56 days after the end of the CPD cycle may be granted where the registrar is satisfied there is good reason to do so.

Rules 10 and 11 make provision for applications for restoration to the dentists register or dental care professionals register. Before being granted restoration, a practitioner must provide evidence that they have completed five years' worth of CPD ending on the date of the application for restoration (unless their date of first registration was less than five years previous to the application for restoration, in which case the practitioner will have to provide evidence of CPD dating back to the date of the date of first registration, or it is less than five years since the end of the previous CPD cycle, in which case the practitioner will have to provide evidence that they are up to date with the requirements of the current CPD cycle). The amount of CPD which must have been undertaken in the previous five years is based on the requirements of these rules, and/or The General Dental Council (Continuing Professional Development) (Dentists) Rules 2008 or The General Dental Council (Continuing Professional Development) (Professions Complementary to Dentistry) Rules 2008 (as applicable) depending on the time of the application for restoration. A practitioner must submit to the registrar evidence of a previously compliant CPD cycle if this occurred in the five years previous to the application to restoration. For the remainder of the five year period, the amount of CPD required is calculated on the basis of each CPD year which has elapsed, on a pro-rata basis according to which rules were in force at the time of the CPD year.

Rule 12 makes provision for the service of notices under these rules by means of electronic communications if certain criteria are met.

Rule 13 sets out the transitional provisions for dentists. The rules take effect for dentists on 1 January 2018. Where a dentist's CPD cycle has started before 1 January 2018, and will end after that date, the CPD requirement for that CPD cycle will be calculated on the basis of both these rules and The General Dental Council (Continuing Professional Development) (Dentists) Rules 2008 which applied before 1 January 2018. The CPD requirement will be calculated on a pro-rata basis, taking into account how many CPD years were completed before 1 January 2018, and how many years after that date.

Rule 14 sets out the transitional provisions for dental care professionals. The rules take effect for dental care professionals on 1 August 2018. Where a dental care professional's CPD cycle has started before 1 August 2018, and will end after that date, the CPD requirement for that CPD cycle will be calculated on the basis of both these rules and The General Dental Council (Continuing Professional Development) (Professions Complementary to Dentistry) Rules 2008 which applied before 1 August 2018. The CPD requirement will be calculated on a pro-rata basis taking into account how many CPD years were completed before 1 August 2018, and how many years after that date.

Rule 15 revokes The General Dental Council (Continuing Professional Development) (Dentists) Rules 2008 and The General Dental Council (Continuing Professional Development) (Professions Complementary to Dentistry) Rules 2008.

Rules 16 and 17 set out the savings provisions for The General Dental Council (Continuing Professional Development) (Dentists) Rules 2008 and the General Dental Council (Continuing Professional Development) (Professions Complementary to Dentistry) Rules 2008.