Only 38% of registrants trust the fitness to practise process

Only 38% of registrants involved in concluded fitness-to-practise cases trusted the process to reach the correct outcome, according to a new General Dental Council report.

Confidence was also low across other measures. Just 41% of registrants agreed that the process was fair and unbiased, while 39% felt their case had been treated appropriately and 36% said it had been handled proportionately.

The figures were even lower among informants, including patients and dental professionals who had raised concerns. Only 34% trusted the process to reach the correct outcome, 17% considered it fair and unbiased and 19% believed the case had been handled proportionately.

Theresa Thorp, executive director of regulation at the General Dental Council (GDC), acknowledged the ‘real fear and distress’ caused by fitness to practise proceedings. She said: ‘Dental professionals tell us the wait is the hardest part, and people who raise concerns tell us they too often feel unheard. Our communications are now clearer than they were, and more people trust the process, but fewer than half believe it is fair and proportionate, and that is not where we want to be.’

What are the problems with the fitness to practise process?

Satisfaction with the fitness to practise process has trended upwards since 2023 – however, the report notes that this trend is ‘not pronounced’.

Timeliness remained the most prominent concern, as 71% of registrants and 51% of informants said the time taken to resolve the case could be improved.

Overall support received was also a frequent complaint, along with certain aspects of the GDC’s communication such as ‘tone and respect’.

The findings follow a 26% rise in fitness-to-practise concerns during 2025.

Will the process change in the future?

The GDC pledged to keep making efforts to improve the process. Thorp added: ‘Reducing the negative impact of regulation is central to our strategy, Trusted and Effective, and it matters beyond the individual cases: fear of regulation shapes how dental professionals practise, and that reaches patients.

‘We are focused on moving cases faster, keeping people informed, and making sure nobody feels they are facing this alone, while protecting patients. We will use this research alongside other evidence to keep improving the process, so that participants feel properly supported, and feel confident that they will be treated fairly.’

The regulator also said it would continue to run surveys to understand the experience of fitness to practise proceedings.

The GDC commissioned researchers from Newcastle University, the University of Manchester, the University of Nottingham and Queen Mary University London to compile the GDC Fitness to Practise experiences survey report 2026. The survey received responses from 570 registrants and 645 informants, covering cases reaching a decision from April 2022 to September 2025.

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