The College has expressed its support for the General Dental Council’s intention to replace Standards for the Dental Team with a new Framework for Professionalism.
Responding to the regulator’s consultation on the proposed change, which closed last week, the College endorsed the ambition to move away from an approach founded primarily on detailed rules and prescribed behaviours to a principles-based framework, which it says, “has the potential to provide greater flexibility, enabling registrants to exercise appropriate judgement in complex and varied situations.”
However, the College acknowledges that this would be a significant culture change, placing new expectations of agency and responsibility on the practitioner, and that at present many registrants derive confidence from understanding precisely where boundaries lie, particularly when faced with difficult professional or ethical decisions. It is therefore calling for the profession, which “[may not] trust those standing in judgement of their practice”, to be adequately supported in applying broad principles to real-world situations, and equipped to interpret and apply these principles consistently and confidently.
The College’s response encourages the GDC to ensure that the framework will be relevant and meaningful to every part of the registered workforce, regardless of professional title, role or practice setting, and says that the transition to a more principles-based approach will be most successful when accompanied by appropriate support that builds confidence, encourages reflection and promotes consistent understanding across the profession.
The College also says that it stands ready to play a strategic role in this respect, helping to bridge the gap between high-level principles and practical decision-making through the provision of guidance, education, professional development, reflective learning and the sharing of good practice.
Details of the GDC’s proposals are available in its consultation document. The College’s response is available here.