SCHEDULE 1
Article 2
The General Dental Council (Continuing Professional Development) (Dentists and Dental Care Professionals) Rules 2017
These rules are made by the General Dental Council, in exercise of their powers under sections 34A(1) and (4), 34B, 36Z1(1) and (4), 36Z2, 50A(6) and (7), and 50C(5) and (6) of the Dentists Act 19843.
1. Citation, commencement and interpretation
(1) These rules may be cited as the General Dental Council (Continuing Professional Development) (Dentists and Dental Care Professionals) Rules 2017 and come into force on 1st January 2018.
(2) These rules take effect—
(a)
(a) in respect of dentists, on 1st January 2018;
(b)
(b) in respect of dental care professionals, on 1st August 2018.
(3) In these rules—
“CPD” means continuing professional development through learning, training, or other developmental activities which—
(a) can reasonably be expected to maintain and develop a person’s practice as a dentist or dental care professional; and
(b) is relevant to the person’s field of practice;
“CPD cycle” means, in respect of—
(a) a dentist, a period of five years beginning on 1st January following the date the dentist is first registered and each subsequent period of five years;
(b) a dental care professional, a period of five years beginning on 1st August following the date the dental care professional is first registered and each subsequent period of five years;
(c) a temporary registrant, an accumulation of 1826 days of temporary registration beginning on the first day of temporary registration;
“CPD record” means the record kept by a practitioner in accordance with rule 3;
“CPD requirement” means the number of CPD hours required to be undertaken in accordance with rule 2;
“CPD year” means, in respect of—
(a) a dentist, a period of 12 months beginning on 1st January in any calendar year;
(b) a dental care professional, a period of 12 months beginning on 1st August in any calendar year; and
(c) a temporary registrant, an accumulation of 365 days of temporary registration;
“dental care professional” means a registered dental care professional4;
“dentist” means a registered dentist5;
“field of practice” in respect of a person means the activities that comprise the person’s practice and intended practice, having regard to the title under which they are registered or in respect of which they are applying for restoration to the register, or area of specialist practice, within that title;
“practitioner” means a dentist or a dental care professional other than a person referred to in section 34AA(1) or 36Z4(1)6;
“register”—
(a) in respect of a dentist, means the dentists register established under section 14(1);
(b) in respect of a dental care professional, means the dental care professionals register established under section 36B(1);
and in both cases “registered” shall be construed accordingly;
“temporary registrant” means a person registered under section 177.
(4) In these Rules, “learning outcome” means an outcome intended to maintain or achieve a standard of conduct, performance and practice expected of dentists or dental care professionals (as the case may be) according to guidance prepared by the Council under section 26B(1) and 36M(1)8relating to, in whole or in part, one or more of the following—
(a)
(a) effective communication with patients, the dental team, and others across dentistry, including when obtaining consent, dealing with complaints, and raising concerns where patients are at risk;
(b)
(b) effective self-management and effective management of, or work with, others in the dental team, to serve the interests of patients at all times, and provide constructive leadership where appropriate;
(c)
(c) the maintenance and development of knowledge and skill within a practitioner’s field of practice;
(d)
(d) the maintenance of skills, behaviours and attitudes which maintain patient confidence in the practitioner and in the dental profession and which put patients’ interests first.
(5) In these rules, references to numbered Parts, sections and subsections are references to so numbered Parts, sections and subsections of the Dentists Act 1984.
2. CPD requirement
(1) For each CPD cycle, a practitioner must complete the minimum number of hours of CPD determined in accordance with the following table-
Table
Column 1 |
Column 2 |
Title |
Minimum hours of CPD per cycle |
Dentists |
100 |
Dental therapists |
75 |
Dental hygienists |
75 |
Orthodontic therapists |
75 |
Clinical dental technicians |
75 |
Dental nurses |
50 |
Dental technicians |
50 |
(2) Where a practitioner is registered under only one of the titles entered in column 1 of the table, the minimum number of hours of CPD that practitioner must complete is that set out in the entry in column 2 of the table which corresponds to that particular title.
(3) Where a practitioner is registered under more than one title entered in column 1 of the table, the minimum number of hours of CPD that practitioner must complete is the highest of the entries in column 2 of the table which corresponds to those particular titles.
(4) The CPD undertaken in each CPD cycle must include activities relevant to each field of practice in which the practitioner practised during that cycle.
(5) In completing the minimum number of hours required under paragraph (1)—
(a)
(a) a temporary registrant must undertake at least 20 hours of CPD during each CPD year;
(b)
(b) a practitioner who is not a temporary registrant must undertake at least 10 hours of CPD during each period of two consecutive CPD years (including any such two year period which spans over more than one CPD cycle).
(6) Any CPD undertaken by the practitioner is only to count towards the minimum number of hours referred to in paragraphs (1) and (5) if—
(a)
(a) there is documentary evidence from the provider of the CPD which states—
(i) the subjects, learning content, aims, objectives and anticipated learning outcomes of the CPD and the date that the CPD was undertaken,
(ii) the total number of hours of CPD undertaken,
(iii) the name of the practitioner who has participated in the CPD activity,
(iv) that the CPD is subject to quality assurance and the name of the person or body providing the quality assurance is provided;
(b)
(b) that documentary evidence includes confirmation from the provider that the information contained in it is full and accurate; and
(c)
(c) the CPD delivered a learning outcome identified in the practitioner’s CPD record in accordance with rule 3(2)(a).
3. CPD record
(1) A practitioner must maintain a written record of all CPD that the practitioner plans to undertake and has undertaken during the CPD cycle.
(2) The CPD record must comprise—
(a)
(a) a plan which identifies the CPD which the practitioner plans to undertake during the relevant CPD cycle, the learning outcome which it aims to meet and a timeframe for its completion;
(b)
(b) a description of the CPD undertaken, the date it was undertaken and the number of hours attributed to the CPD;
(c)
(c) the documentary evidence referred to in rule 2(6)(a) in relation to the CPD undertaken; and
(d)
(d) the learning outcome achieved from the CPD undertaken.
(3) A practitioner must retain the CPD record for five years after the end of the CPD cycle to which it relates.
4. Annual CPD statement
(1) For each CPD year, a practitioner must, within the notice period, submit to the registrar a statement (“annual CPD statement”) which—
(a)
(a) confirms the number of hours of CPD undertaken by the practitioner during the CPD year to which the statement relates or, if the practitioner has not undertaken any CPD in that CPD year, confirmation that no CPD has been undertaken;
(b)
(b) confirms that the practitioner has kept a CPD record in accordance with rule 3;
(c)
(c) confirms that the CPD undertaken (where applicable) was relevant to the practitioner’s field of practice; and
(d)
(d) includes a declaration by the practitioner that the information contained in it is full and accurate.
(2) In the final CPD year of the CPD cycle, the annual CPD statement must also include—
(a)
(a) the total number of hours of CPD undertaken by the practitioner during the CPD cycle; and
(b)
(b) confirmation that the CPD undertaken by the practitioner during the CPD cycle included activities relevant to each field of practice in which the practitioner practised during that cycle.
(3) In this rule, “notice period” means the period beginning at the start of the CPD year to which the CPD statement relates and ending no later than 28 days after the end of that year.
5. Notice to submit CPD record and other...
