How does the FTP process work?
Under its current rules, the General Dental Council applies a three stage investigation process: Assessment, Investigating Committee and Practice Committee.
The GDC received more than 1400 pieces of information in 2009, each of these is considered by the GDC.
Assessment
Upon receipt of any complaint from any source, GDC staff called Case Officers (CO), consider whether there is a case to answer. Almost all complaints survive this initial review and progress to the next stage.
Next, you will receive a bundle of papers including the complaint and allegations about you. It is very important to take advice from your indemnifiers at this point and that you should not contact the GDC directly, the complainant or any potential witnesses.
I've received papers from the GDC, what happens next?
Normally a meeting will be arranged for you with a solicitor. You will then be assisted in preparing a response to the GDC which subject to your approval, will be sent on your behalf by your indemnifiers or their solicitors.
How does the Investigating Committee work?
The GDC's Investigating Committee meets three times a month, and at each session it considers approximately 30 referrals. These cases are determined on the documents alone, including the complaint and any written observations submitted by or on behalf of the dentist. The Investigating Committee can:
- refer the case for a public hearing before a Practice Committee,
- issue either a public warning (published on the Register) or a private warning
- issue a letter of advice or conclude the inquiry.
If I am referred on to a Practise Committee, what happens next?
You will be invited by your indemnifiers to attend a series of meetings with your dento-legal adviser, the solicitor, and the barrister. In some cases an independent expert will be retained to advise the team and give evidence at the hearing.
The hearing, which is normally in public, is unlikely to occur for many months after the Investigating Committee decision. You will be represented by an experienced barrister. The hearing is like a trial in the ordinary courts, and at the end of the hearing the Committee delivers a 'verdict' in which the Practice Committee decides that the Fitness to Practise of the registrant is or is not impaired. If impairment is found, the Committee then decides whether it is necessary to take action on the dentist's registration by way of erasure, suspension or the imposition of conditions.
By Stephen Henderson, Dento-Legal Adviser, Dental Protection.
Dental Protection has more than 50 dento-legal advisers to support you if you receive a complaint.
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