BDA calls for new government to maintain scrutiny on GDC

The British Dental Association (BDA) has urged the new Conservative government to continue its investigations into professional regulation standards in the dental industry.

Returning health secretary Jeremy Hunt, who has retained the position he held under the previous Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition, has been called upon to continue to apply scrutiny to the performance of the General Dental Council (GDC).

The BDA has been outspoken in its criticism of the GDC over the last 12 months, a period that has seen the regulator come under fire for problems with its fitness to practise processes and its decision to substantially raise its annual retention fee.

Other organisations, such as the Faculty of General Dental Practice UK, have joined in the criticism, leading the BDA to call for a "fundamental review" of dental regulation. It is now seeking to ensure this process is not disrupted by the change of administration.

Mick Armstrong, chair of the BDA's principal executive committee, said: "Patients and practitioners deserve a process of regulation that is fair, proportionate and transparent that the GDC in its current form is simply not delivering."