1 August 2008: CPD for all dental care professionals is compulsory
The GDC will be introducing professional development (CPD) for all dental care professionals (DCPs) on a mandatory basis from 1 August 2008.
This is in line with the GDC’s Standards Guidance which sets out the principles that all registered dental professionals should follow – this includes the maintenance of their professional knowledge and competence. CPD for dental care professionals is also an important first step in the planned introduction of revalidation, which will mean that all members of the dental team have to regularly show they are still fit to be on GDC registers.
Under the requirements of the CPD scheme, all dental care professionals will complete and record 150 hours of CPD every five years, a third of which should be verifiable CPD (50 hours) in the following core subjects:
- medical emergencies (10 hours per cycle)
- disinfection and decontamination (5 hours per cycle)
- radiography and radiation protection (5 hours per cycle)
As radiography is not within the dental technician curriculum, dental technicians may substitute radiography and radiation protection for materials and equipment.
In line with the dentists’ CPD scheme, the GDC recommend that DCPs involved in the care of patients should undertake CPD in legal and ethical issues and complaints handling. Duncan Rudkin, Chief Executive and Registrar, said:
“Compulsory CPD maintains public confidence in the Dentists and Dental Care Professionals Registers by showing that dentists and registered dental care professionals keep up to date so that they can give their patients a good standard of care. With only ten months to go until CPD becomes compulsory for all dental care professionals we would like to see greater availability of training courses in this area.”
The GDC will be producing guidance notes for dental care professionals on the CPD requirements. This will be sent to all registered DCPs in the new year.
Further information about CPD for DCPs is available on the GDC website at www.gdc-uk.org
